LÀO CAI — Domestic violence in northern mountainous Lào Cai province was reduced by half in 2017 compared to the previous year, thanks to the initiative of domestic violence prevention clubs.

This was announced on Wednesday at the launch ceremony of domestic violation presentation action month. Speaking at the event, Nguyễn Hữu Thể, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, highlighted the sharp decline of violence following efforts of local authorities and communities. The entire province witnessed a reduction of domestic violence cases from 277 in 2009 to 77 in 2017, he said.

To achieve this result, 135 domestic violence prevention clubs were established with 854 members, who are equipped with essential skills to fight against, detect and prevent domestic violence in their neighbourhood.

Nguyễn Thị Tố Uyên, deputy director of the provincial department of culture, sports and tourism, said authorities had been raising public awareness on the issue for the past 10 years while reinforcing the role of the family, which contributed to local socioeconomic development.

In 2017, a new model of domestic violence prevention clubs was piloted in five communes in the mountainous districts of Bát Xát and Sa Pa, expecting to uphold the values of gender equality among residents as well as providing legal and health services to victims of domestic violence.

From 2009 to date, 1,400 cases of domestic violence have been reported in Lào Cai province, of which 682 cases saw timely intervention. Females aged 16 to 59 accounted for 92 per cent of the victims, while the percentage of child victims was 3.4 per cent. — VNS