| Abstract: |
Following extensive economic and market reforms and more than a decade of
negotiations, Vietnam became the latest country to accede to the World Trade
Organization in November 2006. While it is expected that greater
liberalisation will boost VietnamÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs economic growth and
contribute to the countryÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs ongoing transition towards
a market economy, there are concerns about potentially negative impacts on
vulnerable sectors of the population, including remote rural populations,
women and children. In order to explore the possible impacts of
VietnamÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs trade liberalisation on children in poor
communities, this paper examines key mediating factors that impact child
welfare and the ways that trade liberalisation could affect these variables.
It focuses on three key aspects of child well-being ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ
child work (domestic and extra-household), educational attainment and health
status. It applies a mixed methods approach: econometrics analysis using data
from the first wave of the Young Lives Vietnam longitudinal survey on
childhood poverty combined within in-depth qualitative analysis of two key
agricultural commodity sectors, aquaculture and sugarcane, that are expected
to be significantly impacted by VietnamÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs integration
into the world economy. Our main quantitative findings point to significant
differences in child well-being outcomes based on ethnicity, household poverty
status and vulnerability to declining living standards, parental (especially
maternal) education levels, childrenÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs involvement in
work activities, and access to public services. Our qualitative findings
highlight the implications of caregiversÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàshifting time
inputs to productive and care economy work on child well-being, familial
coping strategies in the context of economic shocks, the importance of social
capital in mediating economic opportunities as well as differences in
livelihood patterns among majority and minority ethnic groups. The paper
concludes by discussing why mixed methods research can play an important role
in focusing greater policy attention on the linkages between economic
globalisation and childrenÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs experiences of poverty. |