Hanoi (VNA) - The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has allocated 5.5 million USD in funding to support the Vietnamese Government in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) against women and girls, particularly vulnerable groups.
UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Matt Jackson and Vietnam Country Director of KOICA Lee Byung Hwa on January 13 jointly launched two important KOICA-funded projects to promote the replication of the One Stop Service Centre (OSSC) model, also known as Anh Duong House, in localities across Vietnam, and to support emergency relief and post-disaster recovery for Anh Duong House in Quang Ninh province.
With the support of KOICA for the 1st phase of the project entitled “Building a support model to respond and prevent violence against women and girls in Vietnam, from 2017 to 2021, the first-ever Anh Duong House was established in Quang Ninh province in 2020 to provide comprehensive services for survivors of gender-based violence.
Building on the success of these two projects, KOICA decided to fund the second phase of the project, entitled “Promoting replication of a model in preventing and responding to violence against women and girls in Vietnam to enhance support for service delivery to women and girls subjected to violence”.
This project will support the establishment and operation of new Anh Duong Houses in other localities, contributing to strengthening a multi-sectoral response in addressing violence against women and girls at national and subnational levels. The house offers a wide range of international standard services including healthcare, psychosocial support, counselling, social welfare services, emergency shelter, police protection, legal services and referrals.
The initiative will prioritise marginalised groups including individuals living with disabilities and LGBTQI+ communities. It will also raise awareness among employers, employees, labour unions, and the community about sexual violence and harassment at the workplace, especially at industrial zones. A core component of this project will be behavioural change, engaging men and boys through targeted communication campaigns to foster positive masculinities and address the root causes of violence.
Additionally, KOICA will fund the 2nd “bridge phase” project to be implemented in 2025 to “Support Emergency Relief and Post Disaster Recovery for Quang Ninh One Stop Service Centre”.
Meanwhile, UNFPA will provide technical support to strengthen disaster preparedness and response capabilities at both local and national levels, thus ensuring that communities are better equipped to handle GBV emergencies.
UNFPA Vietnam will work closely with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and other relevant ministries, as well as the authorities of Quang Ninh, Ha Tinh, and Khanh Hoa provinces to complete the project by the end of 2027.
In his remarks, Jackson said the two new KOICA-funded projects aim to strengthen gender-based violence response efforts and to ensure uninterrupted support for survivors in Vietnam. This support is timely and crucial, especially as Vietnam continues to recover from widespread devastation caused by Typhoon Yagi last year.
“These new projects provide opportunities for Vietnam to learn from international expertise and best practices to enhance effective prevention and response to gender-based violence,” he went on.
Ending violence against women and girls requires sustained effort, commitment and partnership. UNFPA and KOICA commit to working together toward a future where all women and children in Vietnam, including the most vulnerable groups, can live free from violence, ensuring that no one is left behind.
Lee expressed his belief that these joint efforts will foster a safe and equitable society for all women and girls in Vietnam. He called for greater efforts to break the cycle of violence, empower survivors and to build a future where every woman and girl can reach her full potential.
KOICA is committed to supporting the realisation of this future, he added.
The first Anh Duong House was opened in Quang Ninh in 2020, followed by those in Thanh Hoa, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, transforming the response to GBV in Vietnam. They have provided integrated services to 1,666 survivors and handled over 26,260 hotline calls.
These centres have set a powerful example of providing comprehensive support to GBV survivors, demonstrating how multisectoral coordination, fostered through partnerships with MOLISA, local authorities and international partners, can transform responses to violence and create safe, accessible pathways to recovery./.
