Anh Duong House provides supporting services to GBV survivors

Quang Ninh (VNA) – Representatives from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) made a visit to “Anh Duong” (Sunshine) House – a shelter of supporting essential services to survivors of violence against women and girls based in the northern province of Quang Ninh on October 22.

The “Anh Duong” House has been managed by Quang Ninh province's Social Work Centre, with technical and financial support from UNFPA and KOICA.

The toll free hotline 1800 1769 was set up to receive information on incidents of gender-based violence (GBV) for urgent response and online counselling on matters of GBV.

Addressing the event, Deputy Director of the provincial Social Work Centre Do Anh Hoa said staff at the Anh Duong House has been equipped with necessary skills to handle sensitive information relating to GBV against women and girls. The house provides victim-centred services, treats victims equally with respect and protects their information, he noted.

Since it was launched in April, the house has received 1,231 calls via the hotline, including 164 relating to gender equality.

“UNFPA is committed to continuing our support to the Government of Vietnam and other partners to end gender-based violence and achieve gender equality in Vietnam,” said Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam.

She called on everyone to join forces to make sure that women and girls can live a life free of violence, have equal access to opportunities and resources, exercise their leadership, and participate fully in the country’s process to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

“We believe that every woman and girl has the right to live in a Gender-Based Violence free environment,” Cho Han-Deog, Country Director of KOICA Vietnam Office.

 

“The project’s activities including the establishment of one coordination mechanism to facilitate inter-institutional support essential services will bring about efficient, professional, gender-sensitive and tailored assistance to gender-based violence victims,” he said.

The national study on violence against women in 2019 showed that nearly two in three married women (almost 63 percent) have experienced one or more forms of physical, sexual, emotional and economic violence and controlling behaviours by their husbands in their lifetime, and almost 32 percent in the last 12 months. Violence against women remains very much hidden. Half of women who experienced violence by husbands had never told anyone. Almost all women (90.4 percent) who experienced physical and/or sexual violence from husbands did not seek any help from formal service providers. Violence against women has serious consequences on economic development, as well as physical and mental health. It is costing Vietnam’s national economy the equivalent of 1.8 percent of GDP.

Data from Quang Ninh province shows that between 2016 and 2018, there were 555 cases of GBV reported, and women victims constituted 81 percent. In particular, there were emotional violence (65.2 percent), physical violence (29 percent), sexual violence (2.3 percent), and economic violence (9.5 percent). The large majority (76.3 percent) of victims were in the age group 16-59 years./.