Minding the gender gap in Viet Nam's old‐age pensions: Actuarial insights on addressing women's discrimination in the design of social insurance schemes

Abstract The article presents an analysis of the factors that shape gender gaps in old‐age pension coverage and outcomes in Viet Nam. The authors argue that gender norms shape not only women's roles and constraints in society, but further influence policy discourse that impact women's access to employment and social security over their life course. Drawing on a mix of quantitative, qualitative and actuarial evidence from the International Labour Organization and other key actors working on women's employment and access to social security in Viet Nam, such as Viet Nam Women's Union, the article seeks to illustrate the confluence of demand and supply side factors that underly gender gaps in old‐age pensions. A key finding from Viet Nam, relevant for many parts of the region and the world, is that women are discriminated against in social security systems by design. This is particularly stark in the legacy design of social insurance systems, that were once tailored to serve a predominantly male, formal workforce. Moreover, without introducing an explicit gender lens in the design of social insurance schemes, for example eligibility criteria and benefit calculations, any proposals for policy reform further risk exacerbating rather than mitigating existing gender gaps in social insurance schemes. The authors propose key recommendations for both Vietnamese policy makers and international actors to address such gender gaps and help achieve the government's commitments towards an inclusive social security system.