At an international conference held from December 2-3 in Hanoi, experts examined how major socioeconomic shifts are reshaping the lives of Vietnamese women.
At a session dedicated to social security, sustainable development, and gender equality, researcher Nguyen Thi Hoa from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics delivered a compelling presentation on how digital transformation is affecting millions of women working in Vietnam’s garment and textile industry.
Hoa opened her talk by noting that her research began as a specialised lecture for an advanced political theory programme, but has now become the foundation for deeper scientific inquiry. “This is a very small study, but it is also a starting point for future research in my scientific activities,” she explained.
Vietnam’s garment industry is one of the country’s most important economic pillars, employing between 2.5-3 million workers, of whom 80 per cent are women. It was also one of the earliest industries to adopt 4.0 technologies, including robots, AI, and the Internet of Things.
Hoa emphasised how this transformation is reshaping the nature of work. “Digital transformation has a significant impact on the labour force, especially female manual workers who form the backbone of the textile and garment sector.”
The effects, she noted, are both positive and negative. The positive effects could be new jobs, skills-based opportunities, and improved working conditions.
As factories automate traditional processes, new forms of work are emerging. Companies such as Garment 10 have adopted 2D and 3D printing, virtual design tools, and AI systems that allow customers to browse products remotely.
These changes can open upward mobility for women if they receive the necessary training. Hoa noted, “When women are trained to master algorithms and new technologies, they have the opportunity to rise and change their status in the workplace.”
In some factories, female workers have successfully transitioned from direct manual labour to more stable, higher-skill management roles, narrowing gender gaps in the workplace hierarchy.
Automation also reduces physically demanding and hazardous tasks. Dyeing, cutting, and repetitive manual processes, traditionally associated with health risks, are now increasingly supported by machines.
According to Hoa, this shift creates space for women to leverage their strengths. “When manual work is reduced, women have more time to promote creativity, ideas, and critical thinking.”
Meanwhile, negative impacts could be job loss risks, skills gaps, and mental stress. Despite opportunities, digital transformation also brings significant threats. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that up to 86 per cent of garment jobs in Vietnam could be automated within 15 years. Women, who have lower rates of formal training, are more vulnerable.
“The risk to employment is very large, especially for manual workers, who cannot update their technological skills in time,” Hoa warned.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted strong digital inequalities. While many factories moved to online management systems, female workers often lacked basic computer skills.
This created multiple disadvantages, like limited access to information, confusion about benefits, increased job uncertainty, and psychological stress.
According to Hoa, many women feel “anxiety about losing jobs, fear of colleagues looking down on them, and even self-consciousness” because they lag behind in digital adaptation.
Automation can improve safety, but also intensify work. With production software monitoring every second, companies often increase targets based on machine capacity, putting additional stress on workers.
“Leaders tend to set higher output targets, forcing workers to increase their intensity to keep up with machines,” Hoa explained.
At the same time, digital transformation divides workers into two unequal groups: highly skilled technicians and engineers (mostly men) with clean, safe workplaces and high salaries; female manual workers, who remain in physically demanding jobs with limited advancement.
This technological polarisation further widens gender-based income disparity. Although the income gap has narrowed, from 17.2 per cent in 2013 to 9.3 per cent in 2023, it remains significant.
Despite these challenges, many managers in the garment industry say that technology has not yet had major disruptive effects because factories still face labour shortages. In their view, the strongest impacts may surface in the next five years as technology costs decline and automation becomes more affordable.
But Hoa stressed that this delay should not lead to complacency: “Digital transformation is an inevitable trend. The question is not whether it will come, but whether female workers can adapt in time.”
She recommended that the government strengthen national policies and laws supporting training for women, expand digital skills programmes targeting vulnerable groups, and anticipate automation impacts in labour planning and social protection policies.
For enterprises, she suggested providing regular training in digital tools and advanced technologies, ensure equal access to new roles created by automation, and avoid widening gender gaps in pay and promotion.
For international organisations (like ILO, UN Women, Better Work), it is necessary to continue delivering large-scale training programmes for female workers, and support factories in gender-responsive digital transformation.
For women workers themselves, Hoa emphasised that adaptability must also come from within. “The most important thing is still the workers themselves, their willingness to change, update skills, and adapt to technological shifts.”
Hoa concluded that Vietnam’s garment industry stands at a crossroads. Digital transformation can empower women, improve working conditions, and reshape career trajectories. But without proactive policies, training, and inclusive practices, it could also deepen inequalities.
Her research underscores a central message. “Women must not be left behind in the digital era.”
Accounting for nearly half of the workforce and playing a pivotal role across multiple production sectors, women are taking a leading role in driving innovation, green initiatives, and sustainable development.
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By Nguyen Huong

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Vietnam Investment Review under the Ministry of Finance
Editor-in-Chief: Pham Van Hoanh
Deputy Editors-in-Chief: Le Trong Minh, Dinh Hung, Bui Duc Hai, Nguyen Van Hong
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