Hanoi (VNA) – Gender violence should receive more media coverage toensure women and children are brave enough to speak up to prevent domesticviolence, said Truong Quang Hong, a gender expert from Care International inVietnam.

At the event “Sharing Gender Information in Sustainable Development” held onJuly 23 on the sidelines of the Journalism for Sustainable Development Award(JSD Award), Hong said efforts must be made to raise men’s awareness of theissue as well.

Women have been the focus of most stories, however, there are more ways toreflect gender equality in writing rather than just through women, the mostvulnerable group to violence, he said.

Le Hong Giang, another Care International gender expert, said that articlesmust make readers understand that gender equality does not deprive or reduce thepower of any single person in any circumstance.

Gender equality means all people have the right to choose and decide what they do,participate in and have equal benefits from development, she underlined.

Many reporters attending the event agreed that men should be involved in theimplementation of gender equality and gender equality must be ensured inreporters’ choice of interviewees.

The JSD award, organised by the Institute for Research on Development Communication,Global Affairs Canada and Sustainable Development Office under the Ministry ofPlanning and Investment, aims to support the media in joining sustainabledevelopment.

The award is for articles on gender and environmental protection issues, whichare published on Vietnamese e-newspapers and e-magazines from January 1 toOctober 31, 2018.

Gender equality stories should talk about gender discrimination, domesticviolence, reproductive health, poverty reduction for ethnic minority groups,women in forest protection and development, women’s participation in varioussectors or the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, and childrenprotection.

Meanwhile, stories submitted for the environment category should coverenvironmental protection, sustainable energy approach, renewable energies,sustainable farming, ocean waste, wild animal protection or communityinvolvement in forest protection.

Journalists can send stories to jsd@red.org.vn no later thanOctober 31.-VNA