UN Women Vietnam Country Office
News Update – Issue 10, December 2011
Decem
ber
2011
- UN
Wo
me
n
offi
ce
upd
ate
- “Lo
ve
Jou
rne
y”
ca
mp
aig
n
lau
nch
ed
- Poli
cy
dial
DATES AND EVENTS
DECEMBER
1st – 2nd December Joint Conference, Halong Bay
5th – 7th December Climate Change and Gender Mainstreaming workshop
20th – 22nd December Gender Policy Skill Training 20-22 December 2012
Trainers: Ms Kristy Kelly - Columbia University, School for International and Public
Affairs and Ms Duong Thi Thanh Mai - Senior Advisor to Ministry of Justice on legal and
judical - Former Director of the Institue of Law Research, Ministry of Justice.
December – UniTE exhibition at the Vietnam Women’s Museum
December 2011 Consultative workshop on IPT triangulation report
Please email krista.seddon@unwomen.org if you would like to add an
upcoming date.
1
-
ogue on strengthening responses to violence against women in Viet Nam
Circle Painting ‘Joining hands to end violence against women and girls in
Viet Nam’
‘Love Journey’ social media contest opens online site for submissions
Tra Vinh makes efforts to reduce gender imbalance
Art exhibition on anti- domestic violence against women and female
children
Photographs from the UNiTE campaign
November and December has been a busy month for the UN Women office in
Viet Nam.
Of particular note the;
-
-
-
-
The UNiTE campaign that will wrap up this weekend with a concert in Da Nang City.
A successful Disaster Risk Reduction workshop was presented on the 5th – 6th December
which discussed different mechanisms to incorporate gender mainstreaming into climate
change programming.
The Joint conference on Domestic Violence in Halong Bay on the 1st and 2nd December.
A policy dialogue in Hue on Developing and Implementing Gender Responsive Policies
and Progammes in the Central Region of Vietnam, jointly convened by the Gender
Equality Department and UN Women.
The Gender PC, UNICEF and UN Women are pleased to announce the launch of a new
free electronic resource center on Equity, Gender Equality and Human Rights responsive
evaluation available at http://www.mymande.org/?q=human_rights_front
The Gender PCG has also been working on developing the United Nations Country Team
Gender Mainstreaming Strategy 2012-2016.
As we draw towards the end of the year, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and best wishes for
the New Year.
“Love Journey” campaign launched
December 7, 2011
2
Policy dialogue on strengthening responses to violence against women in Viet
Nam
Ha Noi, 25 November 2011 - The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, the Viet Nam
Women’s Union and the United Nations in Viet Nam co-organized a policy dialogue in Ha Noi
on 23 November on “Strengthening Responses to Violence against Women in Viet Nam” to
commemorate the 2011 International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, observed
each year on 25 November. This event received great attention from Government organizations,
political and social organizations, civil society, United Nations agencies, embassies, international
development organizations and international and national media agencies.
The policy dialogue was part of a series of events taking place throughout November as part of
the global UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign to prevent and eliminate all forms
of violence against women and girls in all parts of the world by 2015.
This is the first time Viet Nam has participated in the UNiTE campaign, which was launched by
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2008. The campaign aims to accelerate
progress by mobilizing governments, civil society, young people, the private sector and UN
agencies to stand together to urgently end this global pandemic. In a statement for 25 November,
Mr. Ban Ki-moon said: “We must unite. Violence against women must not be tolerated, in any
form, in any context, in any circumstance. There can be no exceptions, no excuses, and no
delay.”
The opening speech of the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism stressed that domestic
violence is a violation of equal rights between women and men, as well as a violation of the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which
Viet Nam was one of first countries to sign. In the coming years, the work on protection and
3
prevention of domestic violence will further implemented in the country’s socio-economic
development policies and programmes, especially in the Viet Nam Family Development Strategy
2011-2020 and Vision to 2030 and the National Action Plan on Domestic Violence Prevention
and Control, with detailed objectives, solutions and responsibilities of related government
ministries and departments under the coordination of the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism.
Speaking at the dialogue, United Nations Resident Coordinator Ms. Pratibha Mehta said: “Now
is the time to act. Ending violence is in our hands. We need to work together to ensure that the
women of Viet Nam are empowered to step up, speak out, and that Vietnamese men join their
voices to end violence against women once and for all.”
During the dialogue, the Women’s Union reaffirmed their role as the organization representing
women’s rights, particularly for those who suffer violence. The Viet Nam Women’s Union at all
levels continues to provide support to victims, raising awareness in the community, especially
men’s awareness to prevent domestic violence.
Representatives of UNAIDS and UN Women also released research findings on the linkage
between HIV and domestic violence, based on the Domestic Violence Study conducted by the
General Statistics Office in 2010.
There was also a presentation from a NGO network working on prevention and responses to
domestic violence against women (DOVIPNET) on the experience of civil society to address
domestic violence and support for victims.
Participants at the policy dialogue were encouraged to become personally involved by writing
down a pledge to take action to end violence against women and girls in Viet Nam.
Both the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the United Nations are committed to
working together under the framework of the UNiTE Campaign to eliminate violence against
women and girls in Viet Nam.
Circle Painting ‘Joining hands to end violence against women and girls in Viet
Nam’
In celebration of the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls and
the United Nations Secretary-General’s Campaign UNiTE, the United Nations in Viet Nam, the
Youth Union, CCIHP, CSAGA and partners organized a ceremony - Circle Painting ‘Joining
hands to end violence against women and girls in Viet Nam’ in Hanoi Children’s Palace on 24
November.
Circle painting is an art form that uses colors and painting layout to transmit the inner message
of the doer. It is devoted to community based art as a new way to connect and integrate people
4
into a common work and to be a part of a big united group together to commit ending violence
against women and girls.
This outdoor event brings together over 300 participants, ranging from Vietnamese young
people, members of the Youth Union, civil society, the UN and government came together in a
lively and colorful celebration of unity to promote the message “Join hands to end violence
against women and girls in Viet Nam”.
Throughout the day, participants painted, sang, danced, and created to produce over 20 canvas
size paintings, 4 mural size paintings, and over 200 Vietnamese hats were painted in bright
colours. Each participant contributed in their own special way, painting a variety of shapes and
messages that came together to create the overall murals and artworks.
Artist Hiep Nguyen from the Circle Painting project brought so much enthusiasm to the day,
getting all participants up and dancing to the circle painting theme song. Celebrity singer Pham
Anh Khoa was a highlight, he emphasized the need to recognize the problem of Violence against
Women in Viet Nam and said “we can no longer deny the issue, we must act”. He delighted
participants by singing some of his hit songs and painting alongside participants.
The artwork created on the day will continue to be celebrated at a month long exhibition hosted
at the Vietnam Women’s Museum. The exhibition “UNiTE” will display the beautiful collection
of impressive community-based paintings created on the day. The exhibition will open to public
on the period of December 2 – 28, 2011 in Vietnam Women Museum.
Please click here for Suzette Michelle's speech
‘Love Journey’ social media contest opens online site for submissions
The Love Journey, a social media campaign aimed at preventing gender-based violence through
interaction with youth, will begin accepting idea submissions on December 4 from individuals at
www.htyt.vn. The campaign will promote discussions and activity amongst youth on the
attitudes and behaviours of caring and respectful relationships, and will link romantic love and
friendship with gender equality and non-violence.
Well-known rock musician and outspoken advocate of gender equality, Pham Anh Khoa,
supports and is participating in the campaign: “I do believe respect, trust, understanding, love,
equality and non-violence are key principles of a healthy relationship. There is no place for force
and violence in love. True friends listen to and respect each other’s opinions. We (both men and
women) should work towards making our relationships healthy,” said Pham Anh Khoa.
The contest will award Ipads and trips to Bangkok to visit the regional UN headquarters for
winning ideas that promote gender equality and non-violence in intimate relationships.
Benjamin Swanton, the Joint Campaign for Prevention of Domestic Violence (JCC) Project
Manager from Paz y Desarrollo who is coordinating the campaign said: “The Love Journey takes
5
a new approach to prevention of gender-based violence and promotion of gender equality in
Vietnam. Instead of telling people to not perpetrate violence, we are focusing on encouraging
positive, gender-equitable and non-violent attitudes among youth, who are still forming their
ideas about gender relations and what it means to be a man and a woman. This activity will help
young people to build relationship skills that they can take into adult life,”
Speaking on the subject of the global Unite campaign, Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the
United Nations, said: “We must engage all of society – and especially young people. In
particular, young men and boys must be encouraged to become the advocates we need. We need
to promote healthy models of masculinity. Too many young men still grow up surrounded by
outmoded male stereotypes. By talking to friends and peers about violence against women and
girls, and by taking action to end it, they can help break the ingrained behaviour of
generations,”
Bruce Campbell, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam, echoing Ban Ki-Moon’s statement about
the need to involve men and boys, said: “More needs to be done to persuade men and boys to
accept their role in preventing violence and in protecting and respecting women. Men have a
critical role to play: women alone cannot end domestic violence; it must be done in partnership
by all of us,”
The Love Journey social media campaign is supported by organizations dedicated to the
prevention of gender-based violence and violence against women: Paz y Desarrollo (PyD),
Partners for Prevention (P4P), UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women and the UNV regional programme
for Asia and the Pacific, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation
(AECID), and the United Nations Vietnam.
The Love Journey social media campaign consists of two online photography and advocacy
competitions that will culminate in an offline event (a music concert in Danang City on
December 16).
Phase I of the photography competition will begin on November 25, and contestants will be
asked to form teams and submit photos essays on actions that are signs of a healthy relationship.
Voting for the ideas in Phase 1 begins on December 7th with the first awardees to be announced
on December 11th.
Phase 2 will begin on December 13th. Phase 2 will be open to the top 20 winners of Phase 1, and
contestants will be asked to submit in-depth photos essays on what actions, small or large, are
required to realize a healthy relationship. Voting for the ideas in Phase 2 begins on December
20th, with the awardees of two IPads announced on December 31st.
The ‘16 days of activism’ competition will begin on December 12th, and is aimed at high school
and university students. Contestants will be asked to develop and implement ideas for promoting
violence-free schools and community. Voting will begin on December 25th, with the awardee of
one Ipad announced on December 31st.
At the end of the competition, two winners will be selected by a panel of judges consisting of
rocker Pham Anh Khoa, representatives of PYD and P4P, to travel to Bangkok, Thailand to
6
present their ideas at the regional United Nations office.
To learn more, visit www.htyt.vn
Tra Vinh makes efforts to reduce gender imbalance
Tra Vinh Provincial Department of Health has assigned the Office for Population and Family
Planning to carry out the scheme entitled “Intervention for reducing gender imbalance at birth”
in the 2011-2015 period. Gender imbalance ratio of Tra Vinh Province was 107 boys per 100
girls in 2008, 109 boys per 100 girls in 2009, and 112.7 boys per 100 girls in 2010. As of late
2010, the province had five eighths of districts with the sex ratio at birth of 110 boys per 100
girls. Gender imbalance has led to severe consequences such as a changing population structure
in the future, a lack of females at marriageable age, increasing crimes related to sex abuse,
female child trafficking, etc. During five years, the scheme has been focused on implementing at
71 communes of eight local districts by Tra Vinh Department of Health. Its targets aim at
ensuring information supply, education and propaganda on gender and gender imbalance at birth
at each household, striving to achieve 100 percent of couples at the childbearing age, abortion
service suppliers can understand consequences of gender imbalance at birth.
(Nguoi Lao Dong p3 – Labourer, December 5)
Art exhibition on anti- domestic violence against women and female children
The Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP) in
partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN) and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth
Union held an art exhibition on anti-violence against women and female children
with the subject named “UNiTE” in the Vietnamese Women’s Museum on
December 2nd. The exhibition aims at linking social classes, especially young
people in a creative art operation and calling on community to join hands to
eliminate domestic violence against women and female children.
(CPV Online
http://www.cpv.org.vn/cpv/modules/news/newsdetail.aspx?cn_id=494039&co_id=
30071)
7
Photographs from the UNiTE exhibition launch
8
Photographs from the Circle Painting activity
9
Welcome to the first of a series of news updates from the UN Women Vietnam office. We will be issuing these n
news and upcoming dates. If you have any suggestions for improvements or any news articles yo
10