Vietnam has made great efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence

In Vietnam, the issue of gender equality in general and preventing and responding to gender-based violence is one of the contents that the Party, State and relevant ministries and agencies have always attached importance to and committed to implementing through solutions in terms of institutions, policies, communications, awareness raising, capacity building, research, and pilot building of models to support people suffering from gender-based violence in many forms.

The attention and involvement of ministries and agencies in the prevention and response to gender-based violence is also demonstrated through inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms to address different aspects of gender-based violence such as: Regulations on inter-sectoral coordination on domestic violence prevention and control; Regulations on coordination in the work of receiving, protecting and supporting victims of human trafficking between the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Regulations on cooperation to prevent and combat violence and child sexual abuse between the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Public Security.

Speaking at the "Communication workshop to advocate for building an inter-sectoral coordination mechanism on preventing and responding to gender-based violence" held on November 3, Deputy Minister Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha said that despite many important results, the work of preventing and responding to gender-based violence in Vietnam still faces many difficulties and challenges. Gender-based violence remains quite common. The majority of women experiencing violence have not sought help from official support services or from local authorities.

The support service delivery system still faces many difficulties in terms of facilities, equipment, human resources and staff skills, especially the coordination between relevant agencies is still inconsistent, affecting the quality of support for people experiencing violence and making people afraid when they need support.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha affirmed that it is necessary to expand and improve the quality of the network of support services for people suffering from violence, in particular, it is necessary to have the participation, connection, and close coordination of all relevant agencies and organizations at central and local levels.

Violence against women and girls happens everywhere: homes, schools, workplaces, parks, public transport, sports fields, and increasingly on the cyberspace.

Globally, in 2022 alone, nearly 1 in 5 women experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or past partner. Up to 85% of women around the world said that they had witnessed violence on cyberspace, nearly 40% of them had experienced violence themselves, and this problem continues to increase.

Vietnam has made great efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence through various policy and legal frameworks. The ratification of the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control in 2022 is the highest political determination of the Vietnamese Government to eliminate gender-based violence.

Inter-sectoral coordination regulations needed

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Chief Representative in Vietnam Matt Jackson said that in order to ensure timely support for victims of gender-based violence, taking those suffering from violence as the center, Vietnam needs to have interdisciplinary coordination regulations and continue to invest to replicate this model.

“UNFPA is committed to continuing to support the Government of Vietnam in developing inter-sectoral coordination regulations at the national and local levels, in accordance with international standards and so that no one is left behind.

The inter-sectoral coordination protocol will ensure that efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence are comprehensive and people experiencing gender-based violence can access support services in a timely manner and of good quality no matter where they live or in any situation."

Kim Dung