United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Vietnam Naomi Kitahara. (Photo: UNFPA)On this occasion, United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) Representative in Vietnam Naomi Kitahara grants Vietnam Law & Legal Forum magazine aninterview about Vietnam’s efforts and achievements in domestic violenceprevention and control as well as successful anti-domestic violence programmesand models implemented in the country with the coordination and technicalsupport of UNFPA.
Reporter: The National Assembly of Vietnam passed the country’s first-everLaw on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control in 2007. This was a legislativemilestone making Vietnam become one of the first countries to formulate a lawgoverning domestic violence issues in adherence to the principle and observanceof human rights for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, orreligion set out in the Charter of the United Nations, demonstrating Vietnam’sstrong commitment to implementing treaties as well as the country’santi-domestic violence efforts. Could you give some comments on the results ofdomestic violence prevention and control in Vietnam after more than 10 years ofimplementing the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control and otherrelated documents?
UNFPARepresentative for Vietnam Naomi Kitahara: Vietnam’s approval of theLaw on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control in 2007 clearly showed thecountry’s strong commitment and remarkable efforts in addressing domesticviolence. The Law has created a solid legal framework for the implementation ofmany policies and interventions in addressing domestic violence at the centraland grassroots levels in the last two decades.
In 2016, UNFPA provided technical and financial support to the Ministry ofCulture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) to conduct an independent review of the10-year implementation of the 2007 Law on Domestic Violence Prevention andControl. The review closely looked at the areas of the Law enforcement byrelevant stakeholders, and the consistency of the Law with treaties and other relatedlaws and policies in Vietnam.
The review showed that the Government had developed an extensive legal andpolicy framework and action plans to tackle domestic violence prevention andcontrol. Under the Law, five Decrees[1] andtwo National Programs of Action on domestic violence prevention and controlwere developed and approved by the Government.
In addition, significant progress in prevention and control of domesticviolence has been achieved, including mass communication campaigns to raisepublic awareness, the provision of immediate protection of survivors ofviolence, and the collection of data and statistics. The Government’s strongcommitment to addressing domestic violence has also been reflected in theendorsement of the Prime Minister’s Decisions to organize the national annualaction month on domestic violence prevention and control in June, as well asthe action month on gender equality and gender-based violence from 15 Novemberto 15 December every year.
The 2007 Law set out the duties and responsibilities of more than 17institutions, mass organizations, community-based organizations and individualsin domestic violence prevention and response to victims and perpetrators.However, as there remain significant challenges in the coordination of domesticviolence prevention and control activities, the independent review highlighted theneed for a better coordination mechanism in addressing domestic violence. InMay 2016, the Prime Minister issued the Decision on the coordination mechanismamong related government’s ministries and agencies, institutions andorganizations at the central and local levels in domestic violence preventionand control.
Reporter: Vietnamese legislators are putting the final touch on and expectedto pass the draft amended Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control atthe fourth session of the 15th National Assembly this October.Noteworthily, the Law is revised toward strengthening measures for protectinghuman rights under the 2013 Constitution. With this approach, in your opinions,what positive changes can we expect to see in the amended Law on Domestic ViolencePrevention and Control as well as its consistence with internationalcommitments and laws?
UNFPARepresentative for Vietnam Naomi Kitahara: UNFPA has supported MOCSTto revise the 2007 Law and to advocate for the application of the human rightsbased, and domestic violence survivor-centered approach. For instance:
Measures for contact prohibition orders have beenclearly spelled out to strengthen the protection of survivors of violence.
Reconciliation is now optional, and no longermandatory, as it has not really prevented violence from escalating.
Domestic violence will be penalized in accordance ofthe Criminal Code as part of strengthening the justice system for domesticviolence.
All service providers to survivors of violence must beproperly trained so as to avoid re-victimization of victims.
State budgets as well as funds from the internationalcommunity must be made available to fully address domestic violence.
Integrated and essential services must be provided forsurvivors of violence, with a promotion of the One-Stop Service Center(OSSC) approach. The Law also calls for partnerships with mass andcommunity-based organizations, including provisions of budgets.
These are just some of the examples that the revised Law will positively bringabout, and MOCST and the National Assembly must be congratulated for such aparticipatory and consultative process undertaken for years towards developinga national consensus in addressing domestic violence. Every comment and inputsubmitted, and every opinion and option has been given serious consideration tobe reflected in the revised Law.
Reporter: In addition to legislative efforts, what do you think about otheractivities to prevent domestic violence, especially during the COVID-19pandemic and post-COVID 19 socio-economic recovery period?
UNFPARepresentative for Vietnam Naomi Kitahara: All of us went through avery difficult period with COVID-19, and Vietnam was not an exception. But itis important to highlight that across different countries, the pre-existingprevalence of violence against women and girls was exacerbated in the contextof Covid-19. We saw the trend in Vietnam too, and the number of calls for helpin UNFPA-supported hotlines and helplines doubled both during the COVID-19pandemic as well as in the post-pandemic period, indicating that a lot morewomen have been at risk of violence.
One of UNFPA’s interventions to address domestic and gender-based violence isthe introduction and development of the OSSC model, also known as “Anh DuongHouse” (Sunshine House), which aims at supporting victims of violence.
Anh Duong House provides essential, comprehensive, and integrated services towomen and girls who are experiencing and/or at risk of gender-based anddomestic violence. It provides a wide range of services, meeting internationalstandards, including health care, psychological support, counseling, socialwelfare services, emergency shelters, police protection, legal and justiceservices, and referrals. Anh Duong House’s 24/7 toll-free hotline is receivingmore than 1,000 calls a month per center, which is already beyond the originalcapacity. Therefore, additional centers were called for to help more survivorsof violence. All services provided at the OSSC are based on thesurvivor-centered principle, in which survivors are treated with respect anddignity, and assured of privacy and confidentiality. For the time being, fourAnh Duong Houses have been launched in four different locations, namely QuangNinh, Thanh Hoa, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. We plan to launch four moreunder UNFPA’s funding in coming years.
During the pandemic period, UNFPA also distributed our signature product“Dignity Kits,” which include essential items to preserve women’s dignity,hygiene, and wellbeing, and the kits contain, in a discreet manner, keyinformation on gender-based and domestic violence. In partnership withAustralia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the Vietnam Farmer’s Union, UNFPAdistributed more than 34,000 “Dignity Kits” to women and girls in the areasheavily impacted not only during COVID-19 pandemic but also in emergencysituations, such as floods, typhoons and landslides, to protect them fromdomestic and gender-based violence.
Additionally, we see the potential in digital transformation to cover as manywomen and girls as possible, and we introduced innovative technologicalplatforms to disseminate information on the risks of domestic violence andother support services. Such platforms as social networks, a chatbox, SMS textmessages, online galleries, and LED screens helped us reach out to thepopulation groups who are left furthest behind.
Reporter: For the past years, Vietnam has actively coordinated withinternational partners, including UNFPA, in preventing domestic violence. Willyou highlight some of your programs implemented in Vietnam to tacklegender-based violence?
UNFPARepresentative for Vietnam Naomi Kitahara: Ending gender-basedviolence and harmful practices against women and girls is one of the threetransformative agenda of UNFPA’s corporate Strategic Plan. In Vietnam, UNFPAhas been accompanying the Government of Vietnam in the path to ending violenceagainst women and girls. UNFPA wants to ensure that all women and girls inVietnam, including those most vulnerable, have the right to live a life free ofviolence and with dignity. To achieve this goal, UNFPA has partners with manydevelopment partners and international and national organisations.
Among others, UNFPA partnered with the Government of Australia to conduct thenational study on violence against women in Vietnam. From time to time, weencounter people who do not necessarily believe how prevalent domestic violenceis in Vietnam. The Study, which was carried out by Vietnam’s General StatisticsOffice and MOLISA, provided clear evidence and data with regard to theprevalence of domestic violence in Vietnam. Also UNFPA partnered with KoreaInternational Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to implement three nationalcommunications campaigns and establish Vietnam’s very first OSSC, Anh DuongHouse, in Quang Ninh province. This model has been subsequently replicated inThanh Hoa, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City with funding from the Government ofJapan.
Currently, UNFPA in collaboration with UNICEF and UN Women, implements aproject funded by the Government of Australia to support the Government ofVietnam to address violence against women and children. Under this project inthe period of 2021 - 2025, four more Anh Duong Houses will be developed whilemore interventions will be introduced to strengthen the country’s legal system,implement innovative communications for behavioral change, and strengthen thecapacity of various stakeholders to have a shared approach in addressing domesticand gender-based violence./.
VNA
