HCM City (VNA) – A forum on socialwork to support victims of gender-based violence took place in HCM City onOctober 8.
Co-organised by the HCM City Department of Labour,Invalids and Social Affairs and Department of Health, Vietnam Women's Academyand UN Women, the event saw the participation of 100 doctors, nurses, socialworkers, and experts from local hospitals, domestic and foreign organisations.
They shared their experience and proposed ideasto enhance support for victims of gender-based violence in health facilities,especially in the context of COVID-19.
The forum is the premise for the review andplanning of a pilot proposal of a one-stop service model to support victims ofgender-based violence in HCM City.
Addressing the forum, Deputy Director ofthe Health Department Nguyen Huu Hung said HCM City has devised variouspolicies to mitigate gender-based violence, including counselling services andhotlines.
Participants pointed out that in additionto health and economic reasons, the root cause of gender-based violence is genderinequality.
They also put forth ideas to bolster qualityof social work in health facilities in order to better meet the needs of patients,especially victims of gender-based violence.
A survey conducted in 2019 showed thatworldwide, one out of every three women is a victim of gender-based violence.In Vietnam, 63 percent of women have experienced some forms of violence intheir lives./.