HÀ NỘI — About 58 per cent of ever-married women aged 18-60 have experienced violence in a family setting at least once in their lives, a national survey has found.

Of huge concern is that up to 87 per cent of women suffering from violence did not seek support from public service providers, according to the report from the National Survey on Violence against Women in Việt Nam released at a workshop in Hà Nội on Thursday.

The survey was first conducted in 2010 by the General Statistics Office and supported by the UN in Việt Nam, with funding from the Australian Embassy in Việt Nam.

Violence against women and girls is a serious human rights violation and has harmful socio-economic consequences, the report from the survey’s three co-organisers says.  

Việt Nam has made good progress on its gender equality targets under the UN’s Millennium Development Goal 3, while the national legal framework for gender equality and women’s empowerment has been strengthened. However, prevalence of violence against women and girls remains high and poorly addressed, it says.

Phạm Ngọc Tiến, director of the Gender Equality Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said: “In order to develop appropriate, effective and practical policies, apart from staff capacity, we need reliable data and information as evidence for guiding and building laws and policies.”

“I hope that the data collected from this survey will continue to be further analysed to understand the different effects of violence on the country’s socio-economic development,” he added.

“The data collected will be very helpful for policymakers and programmers at national and provincial levels, Government agencies, social organisations, service providers for GBV (gender-based violence) survivors, communities and people in society,” he said.

Craig Chittick, Australian ambassador to Việt Nam, said: “Data on women and girls’ experience of violence is the critical first step in providing a just and adequate response to the problem. Most importantly, it also shows women and girls that we believe them, and that we have the courage to address this hidden harm.”

Second survey

A second national survey on Women’s Health and Life Experiences will launch in March, according to Astrid Bant, UN’s Population Fund representative in Việt Nam.

“We are very happy to collaborate with the Australian Embassy in Việt Nam to support Việt Nam in conducting the second national survey,” she said.

“I hope this study will help us collect up-to-date information and measure the impact of joint efforts in ending violence against women and girls in the last decade. Let’s work together towards a Việt Nam where no woman should have to live in fear, no matter where she is, and where all women are treated with dignity and respect,” she added.

The second national survey will be implemented by the General Statistics Office beginning in March.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will be the leading agency in coordinating the survey, as well as in disseminating the results in early 2019 and advocating for the use of data in the development, implementation and monitoring of programmes and policies related to violence against women and girls.

The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the General Statistics Office under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the United Nations Population Fund in Việt Nam. — VNS