Regional conference on gender violence opened in Hanoi

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) 

Hanoi (VNA) – More than 40 delegates from ASEAN member countries gathered in Hanoi on May 10 to hear experience from non-government organisations (NGOs) in building and implementing policies towards an ASEAN without gender-based violence.

The workshop was jointly organised by the GBVNET, a network on gender and gender-based violence in Vietnam, and the Centre For Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender, Family, Women and Adolescents (CSAGA), together with 14 NGOs operating in the country.

CSAGA Director CSAG Nguyen Van Anh said after the event, NGOs in ASEAN and Vietnam in particular will cooperate more effectively in activities related to preventing and combating gender-related violence.

Participants held that in recent years, ASEAN has made significant progress in tackling with gender-based violence through effective coordination at regional and national levels. Most of the member states have issued their national laws on gender and domestic violence.

With efforts made by the Party, State and people as well as support from international organisations, Vietnam has seen important achievements in building and implementing laws to eliminate the problems. However, a recent study by the Institute for Social Development shows that more than 90 percent of domestic violence cases in the country have not been brought to light.

Regarding anti-gender violence activities in the coming time, Tran Tuyet Anh , Head of the Family Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said her ministry has submitted to the government several essential documents in order to increase public awareness of gender equality, including a national education prgramme on family life.

According to the United Nations Office in Vietnam, gender-based violence has caused losses equivalent to nearly 1.41 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).-VNA