Petition!
We are organisations and individuals concerned about women and children,
First of all, we warmly congratulate Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on being elected Chairwoman of the National Assembly. It is the pride of many Vietnamese women. We believe that, in this new position, she will have even more opportunities to protect women’s rights and promote gender equality.
We would also like to send our best wishes to the deputies of the National Assembly, especially the women deputies. Your presence in the National Assembly adds strength to the protection of the rights of Vietnamese women and children.
Recently, a series of serious cases of violence and sexual abuse against women and children have occurred:
• A security guard abused 23 schoolgirls at an ethnic boarding school in Lao Cai
• A second lieutenant of the Hai Duong police beat his girlfriend, causing traumatic brain injury
• A teacher slipped his hand under a schoolgirl’s arm while guiding her through an exercise
• An artist was arrested abroad on charges of sexually abusing a child
Dear Madam and deputies of the National Assembly,
These cases of child sexual abuse and violence against women, occurring in March – women’s month – are not isolated. Over the past five years (2011-2015), more than 8,200 cases of child abuse were detected nationwide, involving nearly 10,000 victims, an increase of 258 victims compared with the previous five years. Sexual abuse accounted for 5,300 cases (about 65%), and sexual abuse of boys is on the rise. In 2011, the authorities arrested more than 1,000 offenders; by 2015, that number had risen to more than 1,400.
According to the most recent study by ActionAid in Vietnam, as many as 87% of women in the two cities of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have experienced sexual harassment in public places; 67% of witnesses did nothing. According to a study by Plan International in Vietnam, 31% of adolescent and young girls have experienced sexual harassment in public places and on public transport, and 11% of pupils at 30 schools in Hanoi have experienced sexual abuse or harassment.
We believe these are heartbreaking figures that should shame anyone with a conscience. These figures demand that we act immediately and more decisively. Vietnam is regarded as a country with a relatively complete legal framework for protecting the rights of women and children, but ineffective enforcement and monitoring of enforcement are barriers to Vietnam going further in its efforts to address issues affecting women and children.
In our view, the following important causes have made this situation worse:
1. Families and schools do not yet fully recognise the seriousness of the problem, and lack the knowledge and skills to help children protect themselves against abuse and violence.
2. Cases that occur are not dealt with strictly; many serious criminal cases are settled through civil negotiation instead. The most recent example is the case of the second lieutenant of the Hai Duong police who beat his girlfriend, causing traumatic brain injury, but the victim withdrew her complaint for unclear reasons. In the case of Ms. Hong, whose Achilles tendons were cut by her husband in Bac Giang, the trial was postponed many times, and the victim and witnesses were threatened by the perpetrator’s family.
3. Prejudice against victims of violence makes victims feel ashamed, suffer in silence and dare not report. The media have often indirectly reinforced these prejudices by making excuses for offenders or blaming victims.
4. Children and women are not given access to information and knowledge to protect themselves.
5. The legal system still has some gaps. For example, the Labour Code mentions sexual harassment but does not define what sexual harassment is. The Law on Prevention and Control of Domestic Violence mentions sexual violence but does not clearly identify which specific acts are considered sexual violence. The Penal Code has the offence of molestation, but acts of molestation cannot be prosecuted for lack of physical evidence.
We understand that the National Assembly is the supreme body of state power, in which the Committee on Social Affairs and the Committee on Culture, Education, Youth and Children are the bodies that monitor the implementation of laws relating to women and children. As representatives of the people with an important voice in the National Assembly, we hope that Madam and the deputies will pay attention to this issue in order to promote law enforcement in localities across the country.
For the above reasons, we propose the following actions:
1. Promote discussions with the Ministry of Education on the need to compile a programme on gender equality education and child protection for children from primary to upper secondary school, with age-appropriate knowledge and skills, to help them understand and actively protect themselves.
2. Strengthen monitoring of law enforcement at the local level, especially laws relating to women and children, such as the Law on Prevention and Control of Domestic Violence and the Law on the Protection, Care and Education of Children, so that cases of violence are detected promptly and dealt with strictly.
3. Law enforcement and judicial agencies, from the grassroots level, should put victims at the centre and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to handle cases promptly and in accordance with the law. In particular, in handling cases of sexual abuse and violence against women and girls, law enforcement officers need gender sensitivity as well as knowledge and skills for working with vulnerable groups.
4. Closely monitor media agencies’ compliance with the Law on Gender Equality to ensure that media products do not perpetuate gender stereotypes and prejudices. The press should play a pioneering role in preventing and warning about violations of the law in cases that are detected and dealt with strictly.
5. Consider adding legal provisions on sexual harassment in public places to the Labour Code in the new National Assembly term, such as clearly defining the acts and offences.
There are two important points we ask Madam and the deputies to bear in mind when passing the amended Law on the Protection, Care and Education of Children, as follows:
1. Ensure that children from kindergarten to upper secondary school receive age-appropriate sex education, so that they can actively protect themselves and behave appropriately when harassed or abused.
2. Raise the age of children from 16 to 18, in line with the definition of a child in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, so that children receive more opportunities for education and protection.
We are ready to:
1. Provide experts working intensively on gender, sexuality, child protection and domestic violence in the process of policy development and monitoring
2. Provide professional information and research findings on violence against women and children in the law-making process
3. Advise and contribute opinions to national programmes relating to women and children.
4. Provide support and counselling services to the public
5. Take direct part in intervention programmes on preventing and combating violence against women and children in Vietnam We hope the deputies of the National Assembly will speak out strongly on this issue to improve the situation.
We wish Madam and the deputies of the National Assembly good health, success and happiness!
Link to sign in support of the campaign: For a society free of violence and sexual abuse
http://wakeitup.net/chien-dich/khong-bao-luc-khong-xam-hai/