Australia stands with Vietnam to eliminate violence against women and children, bringing sunshine to the community

The Australian Government reaffirms its commitment to working with Vietnam to eliminate violence against women and children, build a safer society, promote gender equality, and bring sunshine to the community.

Development Counsellor of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam Naomi Cook speaks at the inauguration ceremony of the Sunshine House in Hoa Binh province on January 9. (Photo: Ngoc Anh)

Expressing her joy at the launching event of the Sunshine House in Hoa Binh on January 9, Development Counselor of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam Naomi Cook shared with the press the Australian Government's support and companionship with Vietnam in the fight to eliminate violence against women and children, bringing peace and happiness to the community.

Could you please share the reason why the Australian Government funded the establishment and operation of the One-Stop Service Center model - Sunshine House in Vietnam?

The Australian Government is proud to support the Government of Vietnam, in partnership with UNFPA, to establish and operate the Sunshine House One Stop Service Centre. This is part of Australia and Vietnam’s shared commitment to addressing gender-based violence.

This funding demonstrates Australia’s commitment to working with Vietnam to eliminate gender-based violence and ensure that everyone, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to live a life free from violence and discrimination.

Gender-based violence is a pervasive problem that affects individuals, families and communities, and requires comprehensive responses and collaboration to effectively address root causes and support survivors.

The One-Stop Service Center - Sunshine House model aims to create safe, accessible spaces where people who have experienced violence, especially women and girls, can access essential, comprehensive and integrated services, including medical care, psychological support, counselling, social services, emergency shelter, police protection, legal and judicial services, as well as referral services.

By funding this initiative, Australia aims to strengthen Vietnam’s capacity to effectively protect and support people who have experienced violence, while promoting gender equality and social inclusion.

“The support for the establishment and operation of the Sunshine House One-Stop Service Centre demonstrates Australia’s commitment to working with Vietnam to eliminate gender-based violence and ensure that everyone, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to live a life free from violence and discrimination.” (Development Counsellor, Australian Embassy in Vietnam, Naomi Cook)

Ms. Naomi Cook (third from right) and delegates pressed the button to launch the Sunshine House in Hoa Binh province on January 9. (Photo: Ngoc Anh)

Under the project “Eliminating Violence against Women and Children in Vietnam 2021–2025”, what other activities and initiatives is Australia currently funding to support Vietnam in eliminating gender-based violence?

Under the project “Eliminating Violence against Women and Children in Vietnam 2021–2025”, the Australian Government is funding a range of activities to support Vietnam in comprehensively addressing gender-based violence.

The main activities that the Australian Government is funding under this project focus on four main areas:

One is policy support. Through UNFPA, we have supported the Government of Viet Nam in strengthening the legal framework to address domestic violence, including the revision of the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control. This ensures that Viet Nam’s laws and policies are consistent with international standards and provide effective protection to survivors of violence and hold perpetrators accountable.

Second, improving services for victims of violence. In addition to the One Stop Service Centers, we are supporting a range of victim-centered services such as legal aid, health care, psychological counseling and safe shelters at Peace Houses - shelters for women and children who have experienced gender-based violence and Hung Vuong Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

These services aim to provide comprehensive support to people who have been abused, while creating the best conditions for their recovery and reintegration into society.

Third, strengthen prevention. Preventing violence is as important as responding to violence. Australia is funding awareness campaigns and community engagement initiatives to change harmful norms and behaviours, promote gender equality and reduce the acceptance of violence.

Fourth, collect data and improve understanding of the problem. Accurate data is critical to understanding the scope of gender-based violence and developing effective solutions. We are supporting efforts to improve data collection and analysis, helping Vietnam make evidence-based policy and develop targeted interventions.

Through these activities, Australia reaffirms its commitment to working with Vietnam to eliminate violence against women and children, build a safer society, promote gender equality, and bring sunshine to the community.

Lunar New Year is coming. What message do you want to send to Vietnamese women?

I have just started my term in Vietnam not long ago and I am very fortunate to live and work in a beautiful country with friendly and lovely people. Vietnamese women are very strong and capable. On the occasion of the New Year, I would like to wish Vietnamese women the opportunity to develop their full potential and contribute to the strong socio-economic development of Vietnam.

Thank you!

The Anh Duong House, Vietnam’s fifth one-stop service center, was officially inaugurated in Hoa Binh on January 9, aiming to provide essential, comprehensive and integrated services to women and girls who are experiencing or at risk of gender-based violence and domestic violence.

The one-stop service center, also known as “Sunshine House”, aims to detect and prevent acts of violence and support victims of violence. The first center was opened in Quang Ninh in April 2020 by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) with technical and financial support from UNFPA in collaboration with KOICA.

In early 2022, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs launched another Sunshine House in Thanh Hoa with technical support from UNFPA.

In June 2022, two more One-Stop Service Centers were put into operation in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang to support survivors of gender-based violence, run by the Center for Research and Application of Science on Gender - Family - Women and Adolescents (CSAGA).

Anh Duong House in Hoa Binh is the 5th One-Stop Service Center in Vietnam and the first Center in the Northwest mountainous region.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/australia-dong-hanh-cung-viet-nam-xoa-bo-bao-luc-voi-phu-nu-va-tre-em-dem-anh-duong-cho-cong-dong-300373.html