Good morning, everyone. Congratulations on getting here so early on a Sunday and welcome to the second “Run for Zero Violence against Women and Girls in Viet Nam”.
From 400 runners last year we now have 1700 registered this year, of different ages and abilities, and from different parts of Viet Nam.
Give yourselves a cheer.
I’m pleased to welcome the UN Resident Coordinator, Ambassadors of Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden, Deputy Ambassador of Australia Mark Tattersall, fellow diplomats and UN colleagues, and of course all of you: Viet Nam’s champions to end gender-based violence.
Today’s race shows our strong commitment to ending domestic violence and gender-based violence both in the real world and in the virtual world.
Violence against women and girls happens everywhere: in homes, schools, businesses, parks, public transport, sports arenas, and increasingly online. Gender-based violence remains the world’s most chronic, devastating, and most overlooked violation of human rights.
In the last year, 1 in 5 women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner.
Globally, 85% of women globally have witnessed online violence and 38% of women have experienced it personally.
In Viet Nam, half of women who experience violence keep silent, and over 90% of GBV survivors did not seek any help at all.
Today is also the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. We know that people with disabilities, young people, LGBTQI+ and ethnic minorities are more likely to be targeted with abuse or harassment, or have their images abused online.
But together we are changing this. Today we say No More Violence. No Excuse! No Excuse!
Everyone has the right to bodily autonomy and to equal access to sexual and reproductive health.
So however, you run, jog, walk, roll, wheel – however you make your way around Hoan Kiem lake, today we are all racing for equality. For our shared goal where all women, girls and young people can live free from violence.
I hope you enjoy this morning and let’s get our message out to millions of Vietnamese people to say NO to violence against women and girls!
