It was kicked off by the Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs, the Australian Embassy, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

The project aims to ensure that all Vietnamese women and children, especially the most vulnerable groups, can live a life without violence.

According to recent reports, the issue of violence against women and children that has existed for a long time has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The reports said migration restrictions, social distancing and similar measures during the pandemic together with current socio-economic pressures have led to an increase of violence against women and children in many countries.

It was estimated that the number of domestic violence cases had increased by at least 30 per cent during the pandemic, the reports said.

In Viet Nam, the Peace House Hotline 1900 969 680 (a shelter run by the Việt Nam Women’s Union) and the Sunshine Hotline 1800 1769 (as supported by UNFPA in Quảng Ninh Province in partnership with KOICA) have received twice as many calls for help over the past few months compared to similar periods in previous years.

It has been reported that risks of physical abuse, sexual abuse and child sexual abuse and exploitation have increased substantially.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha said gender-based violence against women and children could be considered a serious violation of human rights.

“This is believed to be a common and serious problem in many countries around the world,” she added.

Ha added that social distancing to prevent the spread of the pandemic was also a catalyst to see more clearly the difference in position, role and rights between men and women in family and society.

Women and children were still the most vulnerable group and needed to be protected from violence in their family and the society, she said.

It was an issue that required not only the involvement of State-management agencies and international organisations but also the participation of the whole community, towards a fair and equal society for all, especially for women and children, she said.

Ha also said the project was expected to bring a new chance to create inter-sectoral co-operation among Vietnamese agencies, the United Nations’ organisations as well as relevant partners to solve the problem.

The ministry would work with the relevant agencies to effectively run the project, she said.

The project’s results were hoped to promote gender equality, children’s rights and have a positive impact on the country’s social security, she said.

Also at the ceremony, Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative in Việt Nam, said ending violence against women and children should be a priority for everyone.

“It is about making sure that everyone is part of the country’s sustainable development process, leaving no one behind. We trust this new project will make a great leap forward to eliminate violence against women and girls in Việt Nam,” she said./