Despite national and international efforts to ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment, violence against women remained widespread, several representatives told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today during the continued general discussion on the advancement of women. The representative of Iceland said that the high incidence of violence against women should be considered a “human rights crisis”.

Excerpt of the meeting’s report: 

Pham Hai Anh (Vietnam) noted the link between violence and discrimination against women and said that it was necessary to combat both to achieve gender equality and advancement of women. Data collection played an important role in that process. Violence against women was “one of the most serious challenges of our time”, he said, adding that “so shall be our determination and action”. Viet Nam had made significant progress in empowering women politically and economically, as well as mainstreaming gender equality into socio-economic development plans. A recent domestic violence survey of 2,000 people in eight provinces had revealed that physical, psychological and sexual violence still prevailed, due largely to poor development and education, ignorance of women’s rights and laws, and other social factors.

The National Assembly was focused on ending that scourge and was considering a draft law to prevent and combat domestic violence, he continued. The bill aimed to strengthen the State’s role in preventing domestic violence; guaranteeing human rights, particularly of women children, the elderly and other vulnerable groups; and upholding respect for civil rights in domestic violence cases. If passed, it would mandate education, advocacy and reconciliation to prevent violence as well as guarantee protection for victims, including restraining orders, health insurance, medical treatment, counselling and temporary shelter. The bill, which he expected to be approved next year, would criminalize serious acts of violence. Vietnamese legislators were also working to end trafficking in women and girls by revising the Law on Marriage and the Family, and several large-scale cross-border trafficking rings had been destroyed. Viet Nam had signed bilateral agreements with Australia, Cambodia, China and other countries to protect the rights of Vietnamese citizens married to foreigners and to prevent and combat trafficking in women and children in the region.