HA NOI, November 18, 2014 – Violence against women and girls undermines family stability and solidarity, and is one of the gravest violations of human rights. Urgent global action is needed to address it.
Here in Viet Nam, the National Study on Domestic Violence against Women, released by the General Statistics Office and the United Nations in Viet Nam in 2010, showed that 58 per cent of ever-married women had experienced at least one form of violence (physical, mental or sexual) at some point in their lives. Approximately 50 per cent of victims did not tell anyone about the violence they endured, and 87 per cent did not seek help from public services.
Violence against women and girls not only has serious impacts on the physical and spiritual well-being of victims, but also has enormous socio-economic costs. A recent UN study showed that the cost of gender-based violence against women in Viet Nam, in out of pocket expenditures and lost earnings represented nearly 1.5 per cent of national GDP in 2012. The social costs, however, are even greater as violence against women significantly reduces social cohesion and community resilience. Violence against women and girls hampers economic growth and the ability to reduce poverty across the nation.
Viet Nam has a solid legal framework in place to address gender equality and gender-based violence, as well as legal instruments in place to guide the implementation of the existing laws. However, much more needs to be done to ensure that the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control is further reinforced and implemented effectively to help end all violence against women and girls.
To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Public Security, Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour, Farmers' Union and Women's Union in collaboration with the United Nations in Viet Nam and other development partners have come together today to launch the national campaign “Take Action to End Violence against Women and Girls”. The campaign calls on the public, particularly men and boys, to take action to end all forms of violence against women and girls in Viet Nam.
Addressing the launching event, Mr. Huynh Vinh Ai, Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism said: "The national campaign in response to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women reaffirms the importance of the multi-sectoral coordination between the Government agencies, the United Nations in Viet Nam, the civil society organizations and other international organizations to end violence against women and girls and to prevent domestic violence,".
Ms. Pratibha Mehta, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Viet Nam, said: “If we want to reduce violence, conflicts and wars, if we want meaningful relationships, we must understand men and masculinity better, we must socialize boys and girls differently, we must rethink the idea of what is male and what is a female; we must develop partnership between boys/men and girls/women. Women and men have to together lead gender equality and anti violence movement".
The campaign consists of a series of activities organized from 18 November to 16 December 2014 including workshops, exhibitions, cycle parades, running competition, street dance in 12 cities and provinces of Ha Noi, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Dak Lak, Long An, Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Tre and Can Tho, and awareness raising via mass and social media with nationwide coverage. Detailed information about the events is outlined in the attached Campaign Information Sheet.
Now it is the time take action to end violence against women and girls. Let's work together to ensure that Vietnamese men and boys “Raise hands to hold, Not to hit”.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Thanh
UN Communications
Mob: 
0913 093363
Email: tnguyen@unfpa.org
