Viet Nam’s youths can play a key role in changing attitudes on violence against women

Author: Dang Huong Lan

Hanoi, Viet Nam – If Viet Nam is to succeed in efforts to end violence against women, the country’s rising generation of youths will have to take the lead in changing traditional social attitudes.

Shoko Ishikawa, UN Women Representative for Viet Nam. Photo: Courtesy of VTC10 Viet Nam

“The root cause of gender inequality is the values and traditional ideas that society holds about what are appropriate behaviours and roles of men and women,” said Shoko Ishikawa, UN Women Country Representative in Viet Nam. “The young generation has a key role to play in changing these very rigid ideas that limit their potential. We need a whole generation who think very differently about what women can do. They could be breadwinners, and they could be leaders.”

Ms. Ishikawa was speaking in an interview with the local television channel VTC10 in a special edition on, “The Youth and Their Role in Promoting Gender Equality in Viet Nam.” The interview was broadcast 27 August.

Viet Nam now has a higher proportion of young people among its population than ever before. There are more than 25 million people aged between 16-30–more than a quarter of the total population. It is the country’s most connected, most outspoken and most open-minded generation.

Tran Thi Hoai Thu, from UNICEF Viet Nam presents in the same programe. Photo: Courtesy of VTC10 Viet Nam

The topic of youth and violence against women also was raised at a recent International Youth Day event that discussed how youths can help the country achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The event featured a face-to-face dialogue between five youth leaders who working towards the Goals and senior government officials.

Speaking about Goal No. 10, on reducing inequality, Nguyen Kim Anh, a 23-year-old activist from the civil society group YChange (Young Women Making Change) voiced concern over how gender inequality affects young people, especially in the form of dating violence.

She said that in a small online survey YChange conducted last year, nearly 60 per cent of female respondents aged 18-30 said they had experienced dating violence. “Dating violence is closely linked to gender stereotyping,” she said. “The way the media portray images of women and men has profound influence on young people. In response to this, we are organizing gender talks and conducting research to advocate for change.”

Other youth activists in the dialogue included a representative from an LGBT group, a disabled woman, and a member of an ethnic minority. The government officials were the Vice Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs; the Vice Minister of Home Affairs; and the Head of the Youth Union. The event, co-organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the United Nations, was held in Hanoi on 12 August and attended by nearly 100 people including many students and other young people.

UN Women Viet Nam has been working with partners to inspire and mobilize youth in promoting gender equality. It is supporting students to become leaders and to play their part in preventing violence against women and girls. UN Women also is supporting leadership development for young women and helping them build their skills and confidence to advocate for their rights.