Efforts to change the living environment to be safe for women and children

Yen Thanh district final round of the Happy Family contest and learning about domestic violence prevention and control in 2023. Photo: CSCC

Listen, understand and share

After getting married, many people were still secretly happy for Ms. NT in Quynh Luong commune (Quynh Luu district) who had a quite fulfilling life. However, when the health of her two children was not good, the family business encountered many difficulties, her husband's personality changed, he was often depressed, grumpy, and ready to abuse his wife.

I thought I would have to “swallow my pride” and accept it, but after receiving advice from the Women’s Union of the commune and neighborhood, I gradually became more confident and openly shared my family’s story to find a solution. I also gained more knowledge and skills, especially in overcoming the psychological barrier of “being ashamed of someone”, fighting for myself, as I said, “to gain peace for myself and my children”.

Through the "Household Visit Diary" activity, Women's Union officials at all levels in Quynh Luu district regularly stay close to and provide practical support to members. Photo: CSCC

In the same Quynh Luong commune, Ms. HT became a victim of her drunken husband. Fear was constant in her for nearly 20 years and led to depression for a while.

Ms. HT said that she had thought many times about the idea of ​​mother and child leaving the house together to be freed, but then she was "afraid of this, afraid of that" so she gritted her teeth and endured. When she had access to information about preventing and combating domestic violence that the commune had disseminated, and was accompanied by the Women's Union staff, she let her husband's family know that she was being abused so that they could put pressure on her husband and she herself had learned the skills of "soft binding", gradually her husband changed, became more loving and responsible towards his wife and children. Currently, Ms. HT's depression has improved and her health is getting better day by day.

Exchange to learn about domestic violence prevention and control in Quynh Luu district. Photo: CSCC

Ms. NT and Ms. HT are typical cases of long-term domestic violence in Quynh Luong commune. Ms. Bui Thi Thoa - President of the Women's Union of Quynh Luong commune said that to reduce domestic violence, with support from the project to improve the capacity of officials and public awareness in preventing and combating domestic violence, the commune has established a Rapid Response Team to prevent and combat domestic violence.

The rapid response team is led by the Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee and its members include commune police, judicial and cultural officials, Fatherland Front officials, Commune Women's Union and Women's Association Chairmen of villages with victims of domestic violence.

The Team's mission is to raise awareness about preventing and combating domestic violence; to be close to and instruct women - victims of domestic violence or at risk of domestic violence - on how to manage their emotions and respond when violence comes to them.

After more than 2 years of implementation, the success of the rapid response team has contributed to improving the capacity of officials and public awareness in preventing and combating domestic violence, especially those who are victims of violence and abuse. At the same time, connecting to treat diseases and supporting livelihood models for women because one of the causes of domestic violence stems from difficult economic conditions.

The activities of the rapid response team to prevent and combat domestic violence in the commune have helped many women "untie" their mentality of resignation and silence to fight against domestic violence against themselves and their children.

Ms. Bui Thi Thoa - President of Women's Union of Quynh Luong commune

In particular, the greatest benefit is helping many women "untie" their psychology, from living in silence, living with domestic violence for many years, to dare to tell their stories, open their hearts to receive help from organizations and individuals along with their own struggles against domestic violence against themselves and their children.

In addition to establishing a rapid response team, Quynh Thang commune also established two clubs to prevent and combat domestic violence for two groups: the “New Vitality” Club for victims of violence and those at risk of violence; the “Responsible Men” Club for perpetrators of domestic violence (husbands). In communes such as Quynh Dien, Quynh Tan, Son Hai, etc., the Women's Union has also coordinated with the government and other sectors to establish the “Domestic Violence Prevention and Combat” Club. Popular in many localities are the “Happy Family” clubs; “Family of 5 no, 3 clean”, “Women and the law” clubs, etc.

In addition to establishing clubs, the Women's Union at all levels in Quynh Luu also organized many online contests to learn about preventing and combating human trafficking; preventing and combating domestic violence; drawing contests on preventing and combating sexual abuse...

Ms. Ho Thi Thuy Hang - Vice President of the Women's Union of Quynh Luu district said that the clubs and competitions jointly established by the unions at all levels aim to raise awareness of domestic violence prevention for people in general and women in particular; at the same time, equipping women with "response" skills to prevent violence from occurring or ways to defend themselves when violence occurs. The ultimate goal is to build a prosperous, progressive, happy and civilized family.

The method of the association's staff when approaching women is to listen, understand, share to find together an effective solution and measure to combat domestic violence.

Leaders of the Provincial Women's Union presented suggestion boxes to women's party cells in Nam Linh commune, Nam Dan district. Photo: CSCC

Efforts to change

The main victims of domestic violence are women and children. As an organization representing the protection of the legal and legitimate rights and interests of women of all classes, one of the programs and work contents of the Women's Union at all levels in the province in recent times has been to focus on propaganda combined with supporting women in preventing and combating domestic violence through many practical activities.

The focus of activities implemented by the association at all levels is the Campaign to Build a Family of “5 No, 3 Clean” in the National Target Program on New Rural Development. The association at all levels has focused on supporting women comprehensively with specific criteria, bringing practical benefits to women themselves, their families and the community, and being an appropriate activity for women to participate in building new rural areas and civilized urban areas.

Media skit at the launching ceremony of the model "Safe village for women and children" in Nam Dan district. Photo: CSCC

Along with that, implementing Project 938 on "Propaganda, education, mobilization, and support for women to participate in solving a number of social issues related to women in the period 2017-2027".

Accordingly, many communication activities on preventing and combating child abuse and violence; Law on Gender Equality; Law on Prevention and Combating Domestic Violence; gender balance at birth; preserving and promoting traditional cultural behavior in the family... have been widely deployed. At the same time, movements and campaigns have been organized, building models to support the building of prosperous, progressive, happy and civilized families such as "Safe villages for women and children"; "Trusted address in the community"; "Legal advisory group for women and children"; "Support for women and children affected by gender-based violence"; "Prevention and combating domestic violence" club...

Besides the efforts, according to Ms. Le Thi Huong Giang - Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union, the biggest obstacle in this work is the psychology of women who are resigned, self-conscious, and do not dare to share that they are victims of domestic violence; or they do not trust anyone to resolve their violence. This is an issue that the Women's Union at all levels in the province is continuing to ponder, renewing the approach, going deeper, getting closer, listening, understanding, sharing and using many solutions, to prevent and reduce the current situation of domestic violence, contributing to building a prosperous, progressive, happy and civilized family.