Women’s labour has come to play a remarkable
role in Vietnam’s development since the
introduction of Đô
?
i Mℴ´i renovation in the
1980s. Although many rural households send
their women members to cities to seek an offfarm
income, other households seem to be
immobile. Drawing on a case study of women’s
migration in two rural villages located in the
Red River Delta, this paper explores how
mobility, immobility, and gendered life courses
interact in shaping household livelihoods. The
findings highlight the intermingling of
mobility and immobility in constructing the
livelihoods of both mover and stayer
households over the gendered life course.
Although women work in the informal sector,
their migration not only secures but also
enhances household livelihoods. The paper
also reveals the diverse backgrounds of stayer
households and their activeness in making a
living. Given its emphasis on gendered life
courses, the paper provides a more nuanced
understanding of the economic impacts of
migration at the household level.