Mobile, Flexible, and Adaptable: Female Migrants in Hanoi's Informal Sector

Industrialisation and urban growth are constitutive aspects of Vietnam's new economy and are important driving forces behind increasing rural-to-urban migration. Growth in informal sector employment is a significant aspect of this development, which has provided for both male and female migrants, although they generally are engaged in different occupations. Based on a case study among porters at Hanoi's Long Bien Market, this paper examines rural-to-urban migrants' gendered migration practices. Two interrelated aspects of gendered migration practices are in focus: the role of migration networks and networking, and remittance practices. The paper is organised around why and how migrants have entered the informal labour market in Hanoi and how they make their livings there while also maintaining ties with their rural homes. In conclusion, we discuss how the migration networks and remittance practices of the female porters demonstrate a particular way of adapting to the migration process. Also, it is emphasised how women's flexible practices are facilitated by women's own village-based networks. It is suggested that 'in-betweenness', which stands for the simultaneous and overlapping presence of urban and rural spaces in migrants' lives, is an insightful way of comprehending the adaptation practices employed by female porters in Hanoi. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.