Diversify communication methods on gender equality

In recent years, the Party committees, authorities, functional sectors, and committees for the advancement of women at all levels in the province have come up with many solutions in directing and implementing many ways of communication. Hence, they gradually conveyed information on gender equality to all classes of people.

Mr. Pham Duc Huan, Director of the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (the standing body of the Provincial Committee for the Advancement of Women) said: “The goal of gender equality is to eliminate gender discrimination in order to create equal opportunities for men and women in socio-economic development and human resource development. In order to effectively carry out this work, from the beginning of 2022 up to now, all levels, sectors and members of the Committees for the Advancement of Women at all levels have strengthened propaganda, popularization and education of the law on gender equality with diverse and attractive content and form, attracting a large number of people from all walks of life.”

Ethnic minority women in Trang Dinh district learn about gender equality through leaflets

Specifically, from the beginning of 2022 up to now, all levels and sectors have focused on opening 2,437 sessions to disseminate newly issued legal documents and those directly related to women’s legitimate rights and interests with 58,216 attendants. Socio-political organizations have also actively organized 2082 sessions to encourage their members and people and to raise their awareness of law observance, prevention of social evils, child marriage, consanguineous marriage, eradication of backward customs, practice of a civilized lifestyle; participation in activities of villages, residential groups, to build and follow village conventions and with 90,395 participants.

Typically among them, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism hung more than 150 banners, compiled and created more than 50 news, articles, organized 170 mobile propaganda sessions, attracting more than 56,000 participants. The Department of Health has opened 401 sessions, attracting over 9,000 listeners. Farmers’ associations at all levels organized 354 propaganda sessions for nearly 17,000 members and farmers. Women’s Unions at all levels introduce about models and services to support the implementation of gender equality at grassroots levels, models to prevent and reduce the harms of gender-based violence, model of trusted addresses – community shelters… through zalo, facebook, attracting over 7,500 views; posted over 200 news and articles on domestic and gender violence prevention through the media…

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Van, Vice Chairwoman of Lang Son City People’s Committee said: “From the beginning of 2022, the City People’s Committee has requested the People’s Committees of wards and communes to promote propaganda and encourage people to realize gender equality by various contents and forms such as through the radio system, conferences, forums, activities of unions or through social networks, etc. Along with that, we asked communes and wards to build up a counseling network and hotlines on GE work and prevention and control of gender-based violence and domestic violence in the locality. Thanks to good propaganda work, people’s awareness has been raised, contributing to the good implementation of gender equality, as evidenced by the fact that from the beginning of 2022 until now, in the city, there have been no incidents related to domestic violence and gender-based violence.”

According to the Provincial Committee for the Advancement of Women, the efforts in propaganda over the past time by relevant levels and sectors have contributed to raising the awareness of the people in the province about gender equality, playing an important part in limiting domestic violence cases in the province. According to the Provincial Public Security Department, in the first 6 months of 2022, the whole province have recorded no cases of gender-based violence (equivalent to the same period in 2021); 14 cases with 15 subjects of domestic violence and family law violations (down 14 cases by 13 subjects compared to the same period in 2021), the reason was due to conflicts between family members, marital conflict. The police force has criminally handled 3 cases with 3 subjects (down 5 cases, 5 subjects compared to the same period in 2021), administratively handled 11 cases with 12 subjects (down 9 cases, 8 subjects compared to the same period in 2021).

In order to continue strengthening communication on gender equality, in mid-November 2022, the Provincial Committee for the Advancement of Women held a ceremony to launch the Month of Action for Gender Equality, preventing and responding to gender-based violence in 2022 with the theme “Ensuring social welfare, empowering and creating opportunities for women and girls to realize gender equality and eliminate gender-based violence”. Action month would take place from November 15 to December 15, 2022 with the aim of promoting responsive propaganda activities to attract attention, highlight roles, responsibilities and proactive action of individuals, families, communities, agencies and organizations in the prevention of violence and abuse against women and children.