Raising awareness in the community.

The community communication team of Bet Ton hamlet, My Huong commune, regularly conducts direct outreach and mobilization efforts at people's homes whenever issues arise.

Ms. NL had previously sought help from local authorities and considered reporting the matter to the police, haunted by her husband's physical violence and abusive language when he was drunk. After more than 30 years of marriage, Ms. NL had endured many nights of silent suffering, bearing the burden of her husband's patriarchal and abusive behavior, fearing that making a fuss would bring shame to both of them and ridicule from their neighbors. But human strength has its limits, so Ms. NL decided to pour out her heart, and unexpectedly, the community media team gradually changed her husband's character.

Mr. Son Thanh Tam, Party Secretary and Head of the Community Communication Team in Bet Ton hamlet, said that Mrs. NL's family is classified as a near-poor household and receives support from the program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses. Upon investigation, the cause of the verbal abuse and domestic violence stemmed from blind jealousy, even though both are over 50 years old and have grandchildren. Following this, members of the team visited the family to disseminate information about the Law on Gender Equality, the prevention and control of domestic violence, and the Law on Marriage and Family; clearly stating that verbal abuse and domestic violence are violations of the law and emphasizing that spouses must respect, love, and care for each other, not possessiveness. They also stressed the importance of working together to develop the economy and improve their material and spiritual lives. After numerous outreach and persuasion efforts, the verbal abuse and domestic violence ceased, and Mrs. NL no longer complained or reported the incident.

The Bet Ton hamlet community communication team has 10 members, mainly from various organizations and associations. Monthly, the team meets to identify gender stereotypes and biases within families and communities, as well as harmful cultural customs, in order to develop plans and content for communication tailored to the local situation. In 2025, the team plans to proactively coordinate approximately 10 communication campaigns and conduct numerous direct outreach activities at people's homes when issues arise. "Previously, there were many cases of patriarchal attitudes, domestic violence, child marriage, and consanguineous marriage in the area… But now, people have changed and have more progressive thinking; gender stereotypes and biases within families and communities have gradually been eliminated," Mr. Son Thanh Tam informed.

Ms. Chau Thi Thanh Loan, Head of the Women's Association and a member of the community communication team in Bet Ton hamlet, shared: “The hamlet has 548 households, with ethnic minorities accounting for about 80%, and I myself am also from an ethnic minority group, which facilitates propaganda and mobilization. I see that many women still have the mindset of enduring and being economically dependent on men, leading to a loss of voice and inequality in the family. I encourage women to participate in women's groups and activities, engage in various social work, and set an example in propaganda work. I believe that to promptly prevent and protect victims of domestic violence, they need to be equipped with knowledge such as: having a profession, financial independence, a sense of self-reliance and independence for themselves and their families, knowledge of maintaining family happiness, and raising children...”

To help the group operate more effectively, Ms. Tiet Tu Hoa, Vice President of the Women's Union of My Huong commune, said that each year, the commune provides the group with over 200 leaflets and documents related to Project 8 "Implementing gender equality and addressing urgent issues for women and children". Established in July 2023, initially, some people did not pay attention to the group's communication activities, but after many implementation and propaganda activities, the awareness of the people has been raised. People in Bet Ton hamlet have received more useful knowledge to change themselves, create closer relationships with those around them, create a harmonious and stable living environment, and develop together.

Text and photos: SỚM MAI

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/nang-cao-nhan-thuc-noi-cong-dong-a195564.html