Acts of gender discrimination at the workplace will incur fines, license revocation and even deportation in the case of foreigners, according to a new government decree scheduled to take effect in August.

Employers who dismiss workers for gender reasons, including pregnancy, can be fined between VND5 million ($281) and VND10 million in line with the new decree. Fines of between VND3 million ($168) and VND5 million will be imposed on employers who pay unequal salaries to men and women with the same skills.

However, recruitment discrimination designed to promote gender equality, or to support traditional roles in some special jobs, are not in the purview of the new decree.

The highest fines, of between VND20 million ($1,123) and VND40 million ($2,246), are reserved for organizations that issue gender-discriminatory internal regulations or those who use gender discrimination in their advertising campaigns.

In political activities, preventing a person from legally running for the National Assembly (Vietnam’s legislature), local people’s councils or denying a person a post in the government due to their gender would incur fines of between VND3 million and VND5 million.

The decree even reached into the domestic sphere.

Family members that prevent another family member from social activities due to their gender would be fined between VND500,000 ($28) and VND1 million ($56).

Besides the fines, violators may also be ordered to pay additional damages to victims, according to the decree.

Gender discrimination in Vietnam is defined by the Law on Gender Equality, which took effect in July 2007.

Source: Thanh Nien