Deserving but dismissed: employment challenges for women with disabilities in Vietnam

Purpose This paper analyzes the multi-layered barriers to the employment of women with disabilities in Vietnam by connecting gendered disability exclusion to employment-relations processes, including employer screening and hiring decisions, labor-market segmentation and local institutional arrangements that mediate access to training, jobs and support. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study was conducted in My Tho city, Tien Giang province, Vietnam. A total of 36 semi-structured interviews were completed between July 2022 and March 2023 with women with disabilities and key informants, including representatives of local governments, businesses and men with disabilities. To update and validate information on the employment situation, follow-up interviews were conducted by the end of 2024 with a subset of women with disabilities and local government representatives. The data analysis was guided by an intersectional approach, integrating critical examination of existing policy and lived experiences of individuals with disabilities, especially women. Findings Women with disabilities encounter multi-layered social exclusion shaped by public stereotypes and stigma. Exclusion is further reinforced by gender-insensitive policies and implementation gaps and by institutional framing that positions them as “vulnerable” dependents rather than rights-bearing agents. Restrictive family control and internalized stigma reproduce feelings of inferiority. In turn, policy and practice legitimize their exclusion by labeling these women as “unworthy” of educational and vocational investment. Originality/value By theorizing “deservingness” as a mechanism enacted through institutional gatekeeping and employer practices, the study contributes to employment-relations debates on work access, discrimination and inclusive labor-market governance in a Global South context.