Ha Noi, December 3, 2023: More than 1700 international and Vietnamese runners joined the 2023 “Run for Zero Violence against Women and Girls in Vietnam” around Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi to say NO EXCUSE to all forms of gender-based violence whether physical, mental, sexual or digital.
This is the second running race, organized by the Center for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender – Family – Women and Adolescent (CSAGA) as commissioned by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund in Vietnam in partnership with the Government of Australia.
The running race is part of Viet Nam’s National Action Month for Gender Equality, and Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence, which runs from 15 November to 15 December.
This event is also part of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign from the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November running through to International Human Rights Day on 10 December. Together with other UN agencies in Viet Nam, UNFPA Viet Nam aims to raise awareness and spark advocacy for change. It’s high time to take action to end all forms of violence and harmful practices including child marriage, digital violence, intimate partner violence and rape, among other atrocities.
In the opening remarks, Ms. Nguyen Van Anh - Director of CSAGA said: “You and I, we all believe that light will overshadow darkness and smiles will wipe away the tears. In collaboration with UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, Viet Nam, we have organized this second running race in the hope that our efforts will contribute to bringing about peaceful lives to all women and girls. They deserve to live without fear of gender-based violence. Let’s take action towards a healthy and sustainable development.”
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.
Globally, nearly 1 in 5 women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner in the last year alone, including online abuse. 85% of women globally have witnessed online violence being committed against another woman, and 38% of women have experienced it personally.
In Viet Nam, the findings of the 2nd National Study on Violence against Women in Vietnam in 2019, showed that 63% of married women aged 15-64 reported experiencing some form of violence at least once in their lifetime by their husbands or intimate partners. Moreover, half of women who experienced violence kept silent, and over 90% of GBV survivors did not seek any help at all.
Women with disabilities, young people, LGBTQI+ and ethnic minorities are more likely to be targeted with abuse or harassment, or have their images abused online. Indeed, between 40 and 68 per cent of young women with a disability experience sexual violence before age 18.
In his opening remarks, Matt Jackson, UNFPA Representative in Viet Nam said: “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. Today we say No More Violence. No Excuse! Everyone has the right to bodily autonomy, to equal access to sexual and reproductive health and where women and girls can live free from violence.”
The Australian Deputy Ambassador Mr. Mark Tattersall emphasized in his opening remark: “This morning we send a message from the heart of Hanoi to all people in Vietnam: violence against women and children is never acceptable. We are here in support of victim survivors and bystanders to violence against women and children who choose not to stay silent. Ending violence against women and children is the responsibility of all.”
With the slogan “Break The Silence, Stop The Violence”, the runners shared hundreds of messages inspiring survivors and advocating them to speak up, share their stories and call for change. Violence against women and girls is completely preventable. We can stop this crisis by acting in solidarity with the growing numbers of people who are standing up and saying, ‘NO EXCUSE.’
For further information:
Nguyen Tuyet Trinh, Project Coordinator, CSAGA;
Email: trinhnt@csaga.org.vn Mobile: 0932241490
Dinh Thu Huong, UNFPA Communications
Email: dhuong@unfpa.org; Mobile: 0913301539
