The Vietnamese Government has been making unremitting efforts to end violence against women and children over the past years, paying special attention to the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on people.

Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) Nguyen Thi Ha made the statement at the launching ceremony for the Blue Heart Campaign 2022 held in Hanoi on July 5.

Themed “No tolerance to violence against children and women”, the campaign calls on people to take action in response to violence against children and women.

Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha speaks at the launching ceremony. Photo: Nhat Anh

Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha said the campaign aims to end violence in the context of increasing risks with diverse forms of violence.

“However, the status quo still remains and we can only solve it with the joint efforts and consensus of all members of society, responsible organizations, and agencies,” Ha stressed.

“Vietnam has been receiving great support from the United Nations agencies and the Australian Government in this field. Only by joining forces, can we become stronger in promoting concrete solutions and actions towards ending violence against women and children,” the deputy minister added.

Rana Flowers, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Vietnam, said that only when people come together and speak out that violence is unacceptable, can we make the invisible visible.

“The initiative calls on citizens, lawmakers and governments to speak out more strongly against violence. We look forward to being able to turn public outrage over acts of violence into constructive efforts to transform the lives of children and women,” Rana Flowers emphasized.

Globally, one billion children each year experience violence in one form or another. The Vietnam Sustainable Development Goals Index survey on children and women for the year 2020-2021 shows that more than 72% of children between the ages of 10 and 14 have experienced violent discipline. Among them, 39% of children suffered from mental violence, physical abuse (47%), sexual abuse (20%) and neglect (29%). In another study, 21.4% of adolescent girls and 7.9% of adolescent boys reported having had suicidal thoughts.

Rana Flowers, the UNICEF representative in Vietnam, makes a speech at the event. Photo: Nhat Anh

Risk factors for violence and abuse are exacerbated by the socio-economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Millions of children, including those in Vietnam are falling victim to physical, sexual, and emotional violence in families, schools, and the internet.

“Let's turn the viral inspirations of today's launch into concrete action to end all forms of violence against children and women. Respect all women and children, listen to their voices, speak up and seek or provide support when you witness violence against children and women. Let’s spread the campaign’s message to more people,” Elisa Fernandez Saenz added.

Blue Heart Campaign is built in the month of Action for Children held in Vietnam in June every year to raise people’s awareness, and change individual and societal behavior to help stop violence before it begins.

In the early stages of this campaign in 2020, it attracted nearly 100 million people's interactions on digital media with a viral message from influencers.

The Blue Heart Campaign 2022 urgently calls for the attention and support of the community to create an environment free of violence in families, at schools, in the community and on the internet.