Structure of Migration from Vietnam to Japan and Migrant Womenʼs Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Abstract

Based on a qualitative survey of Vietnamese technical intern trainees, this research explored the relationship between the migration structure from Vietnam to Japan and the sexual and reproductive health and rights（SRHR）of migrant women. This study proposed that the migration structure, involving the state and capital, deprived migrant women of SRHR and dehumanized/racialized them. This institutional and structural deprivation of SRHR exposed women and children to risks related to pregnancy and childbirth. Furthermore, by examining the experiences of the interns with SRHR, this research demonstrated how migrant women responded to the structural deprivation of SRHR. The results showed that the structural and institutional deprivation of the womenʼs SRHR led to the “pregnancy-return route” becoming an option for migrant women. In some cases, the migration trajectory represented one stage in life, as the women technical intern trainees developed close relationships with their partners during their migration journey. However, some technical intern trainees were prohibited from socializing or going out freely with friends. In addition, while technical intern trainees with regular residency status were deprived of fundamental rights, migrant women without residency status could live with their partners and plan their own lives.