Hanoi (VNA) – TheMinistry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), in collaboration with UNagencies and the Australian Aid, launched a campaign on July 5 to enhance publicawareness of women and children protection, spreading the message of zerotolerance for violence against children and women.

The initiative isbuilt on the 2020 campaign to raise public awareness and change individual andsocietal behaviour, helping prevent violence before it begins.

According to the organisers, the campaign calls for attention and support from thewhole community to create a violence-free environment in families, schools andcommunity as well as on cyber space.

Addressing the launching ceremony, UNICEF Chief Representative in Vietnam RanaFlowers said that the campaign calls on citizens, lawmakers and the Governmentto speak out more strongly against violence. It is hoped to turn public outrageover acts of violence into constructive efforts to change the lives of childrenand women, she stressed.

Elisa Fernandez Saenz,UN Women Representative in Vietnam, underlined the responsibility of everyperson to speak up, seek or provide support when witnessing violence againstchildren and women.

According to the UN, globally,each year, one billion children experience violence in various forms. The surveyon Sustainable Development Goals indicators on children and women in Vietnamfor the 2020-2021 period showed that more than 72% of children between the agesof 10 and 14 experienced violent discipline. In which, 39% of children sufferedfrom mental violence, 47% from physical abuse, 20% from sexual abuse, and 29% from neglect. Meanwhile, a research revealed that 21.4% of adolescent girls and 7.9%of adolescent boys reported having had suicidal thoughts. Another study foundthat 5.8 percent of adolescents reported having attempted suicide.

A survey by the UnitedNations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam said that in 2019, 62.9% of women inVietnam experienced one or more forms of violence in their lifetime such asphysical, sexual, emotional and economic violence, as well as controllingbehaviour by the husband. In addition, violence against women resulted in adeficit of 1.81% of the country's GDP.

MoLISA Deputy MinisterNguyen Thi Ha said that the Vietnamese Government has worked hard to end violenceagainst women and children, with special attention to negative impacts fromCOVID-19 on the people.

However, violence hasstill happened and the problem can only be solved with joint efforts of allmembers in the society, organisations and authorised agencies, she stressed.

UNFPA Representativein Vietnam Naomi Kitahara said that in Vietnam, the model of one-stop service centre to support victims of gender-based violence called“Ngoi nha Anh Duong” has been set up, providing essential and comprehensiveservices to people suffering from gender-based violence, including health,social, justice and protection services. The model is one of the visibleresults of UNFPA efforts towards zero gender-based violence and harmfulbehaviours, she added./.