Gender equality in the family means that men and women have equal positions and roles, are given conditions and opportunities to unlock their abilities, equally enjoy the fruits of community and family development and have the right to make decisions on issues related to oneself, family, and society.
Gender equality in the family is a healthy environment for members, particularly children, to receive the best care, education, protection, and education about equal rights and to act equally.
However, gender-based violence, especially against women and children, causes physical and mental harm. This affects the socio-economy and reduces progress in achieving national gender equality goals.
Ending violence against women and children must be implemented right from within each family - the environment considered safest for women and girls.
This is seen as the key prerequisite to promoting true gender equality from within each family so that no one is left behind.
At the conference entitled ‘Gender Equality in the Family, Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence’, which was recently organised by the Institute for Family and Gender Studies under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, participants pointed out that victims of gender-based violence often endure alone when facing such situations.
Women, especially those living in rural areas, are more likely to suffer violence than men. Most of them do not seek help from any source because they believe the situation is not serious or consider the acts of gender-based violence they experience as personal matters they want to resolve on their own.
Eliminating violence from within the family can be seen as removing violence from its roots, which is a prerequisite for promoting sincere gender equality. Therefore, each individual must fully understand their responsibilities, identify acts of violence, and promptly prevent and report such acts, working together to gradually eliminate gender-based violence.
It is necessary to encourage men to participate in programmes to prevent gender-based violence, change gender stereotypes, and promote their positive roles in the family and community.
More communication programmes should be implemented to raise awareness about policies, laws, and knowledge on preventing and responding to gender-based violence while enhancing education about gender, human rights, and gender equality in the education system from elementary school.
It is essential to promote and maintain creative initiatives to prevent gender-based violence, especially ineffective ideas and activities that can be duplicated in society.
Meanwhile, relevant agencies should implement economic development models that integrate gender considerations, prioritising women and girls, as well as vulnerable groups such as single women, the poor, ethnic minorities, the disabled, and the elderly.
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Associate Professor Tran Thi Minh Thi, Deputy Director of the Institute of Social Sciences Information speaks at the conference (Photo: phunumoi.net.vn) |
At the conference, Associate Professor Tran Thi Minh Thi, Deputy Director of the Institute of Social Sciences Information, stated that Vietnam has a long-standing cultural tradition, with family values playing a central role in social life. In modern society, Vietnam is gradually integrating internationally and developing in terms of economy, education, and technology.
Asian traditions often consider men the pillars of the family, while women are attributed to housework and childcare.
However, in modern society, men and women have equal rights and responsibilities in building a family and society. Encouraging men to participate in family work not only helps reduce the burden on women but also creates a more harmonious and equal family environment.
To promote gender equality in the family, Associate Professor Dang Thi Anh Tuyet from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, believed that it is necessary to implement synchronous solutions, particularly communication and education on gender equality, eliminating the ideology of son preference, especially in the issue of gender imbalance at birth.
It is also urgent to adopt strict enforcement of laws on domestic violence prevention and control, protecting victims and strictly handling violations.
