Almost 1 million Vietnamese people join UNIFEM Say NO to Violence Against Women Campaign

	Signing onto UNIFEM Say NO to Violence Against Women are, from left, are Mr John Hendra, UN Resident Coordinator, Vice Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh, with  Mme Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, President of the Vietnam Women’s Union witnessing at the far right.

Hanoi, 10 December 2008, – Advocacy surrounding UNIFEM Say NO to Violence Against Women campaign has generated huge momentum culminating in 912 260 Vietnamese people signing up to the campaign.

UNIFEM Executive Director Ines Alberdi stated “I would like to personally congratulate Viet Nam for the incredible energy deployed in promoting the Say No Campaign.  I heard incredible stories about the work that was done on the Campaign and the energy and momentum that this has generated for women and girls’ rights.”

The Viet Nam Women’s Union (VWU) became a crucial partner for the UNIFEM Viet Nam office in the global anti-violence campaign.  In Viet Nam, two new laws have recently been introduced to protect women’s rights, the Gender Equality Law and the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control. The President of the Viet Nam Women’s Union, Mme Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, said “These laws are crucial to protecting and enhancing women’s rights and their implementation at the provincial and commune level is essential”.  She also stated “violence violates human dignity and rights, damages physical and spiritual health of victims and has only a negative impact on society.”

According to UNIFEM Viet Nam Country Programme Manager Suzette Mitchell “The Viet Nam Women’s Union is an amazing organization with incredible access to women at the grassroots level.  We wanted to ensure that the average Vietnamese people living in communes are aware that violence against women is now a crime in Vietnamese law, and that they have the power to sign their name to this campaign which strengthens people’s voices throughout the world to say that violence is no longer acceptable in women’s lives and will not be tolerated”.

At the launch many people publicly signed onto the campaign led by Mme Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa and the UN Resident Coordinator Mr John Hendra. Other high profile guests who signed included the Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Mr Hoang Tuan Anh, Standing Vice Minister of MOFA Mr Pham Binh Minh, First Vice Minister of MOLISA Mme Huynh Thi Nhan, and Ms. Trieu Thi Nai, Vice President of the National Assembly Council of Ethnic Minorities. 200 ethnic MPs and members of local people’s councils and 220 prosecutors have also signed the campaign as well as women Ambassadors of Canada, Ireland,  Lao PDR, Panama, Philippines and Spain. Over 10 000 signatures were also received electronically through an on-line promotion.

UNIFEM Say NO to Violence Against Women campaign is designed to support the UN Secretary General’s multi-year campaign on the same issue. Names collected worldwide – including those from Vietnam – were presented to the UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki Moon on 25 November, the UN day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.  The campaign is sending a strong message to decision-makers to place ending violence against women high on the global agenda.

In his statement to commemorate 25 November as the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women, Secretary General Mr Ban Ki Moon states   “All of us - men and women, soldiers and peacekeepers, citizens and leaders - have a responsibility to help end violence against women.  States must honor their commitments to prevent violence, bring perpetrators to justice and provide redress to victims.  And each of us must speak out in our families, workplaces and communities, so that acts of violence against women cease”.

Media Inquiries:
suzette.mitchell%unifem.org  Country Programme Manager, UNIFEM Viet Nam
nisha.prichard%unifem.org  Campaign Officer, UNIFEM Viet Nam
(change % to @)

Top