Estimating the Cost of Domestic Violence Against Women in Viet Nam

Violence against women is a global phenomenon and Viet Nam is no exception as it is a daily occurrence in the lives of many Vietnamese girls and women. As stipulated in international and regional legal instruments, the duty and priority to protect girls and women from domestic violence lies with the Government. The Government of Viet Nam has acknowledged its responsibilities and signed international conventions including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women and the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. In addition, the Government has also explicitly recognized the equal rights of women across public and private domains in their Constitution adopted in 1992. However, despite the attention to domestic violence in the legislative framework, it is still broadly understood as the violence that occurs within the family in the Vietnamese cultural context.

The actual human costs of violence are enormous; violence devastates lives, fractures communities and hinders development. Intimate partner violence is also a central concern within the field of women and development as it impedes women’s economic and social development and capacity for self-determination. Since there has been little resource commitment to a comprehensive multisectoral response that would provide accessible, effective and timely support to women experiencing violence, it is important to demonstrate the economic effects at the household level as to demonstrate how violence against women drains the household economy. For this reason, UN Women has conducted this study through the Institute of Gender and Family Studies within the Viet Nam Academy of Social Services and the National University of Ireland, Galway in consultation with government, nongovernment and international partners and the overall support of the UNiTE Campaign To End Violence against Women and AusAID.