Page 21 - IJPS-11-4

International Journal of

Population Studies

PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE
Preventing and responding to violence against

women: A case study from Vietnam

Phan Thi Lan Huong*
Department of International Cooperation, Hanoi Law University, Ha Noi, Vietnam

Abstract

Violence against women (VAW) has significant detrimental effects on the daily
lives of women and the overall development of society. Addressing VAW poses a
considerable challenge for nations striving to achieve sustainable development
goals (SDGs). Vietnamese society, deeply influenced by Confucianism and Buddhism,
continues to perpetuate male preferences. The persistence of gender stereotypes
and discrimination shaped by societal norms serves as an underlying cause of VAW
in Vietnam. Despite the Vietnamese government’s efforts since 2010 to implement
prevention and response programs for gender-based violence, the alarming reality
is that nearly 63% of women report experiencing at least one form of violence in
their lives. However, various obstacles prevent many of these women from seeking
legal protection. These obstacles include inadequate support services, burdensome
proof requirements, and fear of re-victimization. Thus, the crucial question of how
*Corresponding author:
Phan Thi Lan Huong to effectively eliminate VAW in Vietnam remains a major concern, influencing the
(phanhuong@hlu.edu.vn) nation’s progress toward achieving the SDGs and upholding its commitment as a
member country of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Citation: Huong, P.T.L. (2025).
Preventing and responding to against Women. This paper analyzes the obstacles Vietnam faces in its efforts to
violence against women: A case prevent and respond to VAW, aiming to safeguard women’s rights and advance
study from Vietnam. International gender equality.
Journal of Population Studies,
11(4): 15-24.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.1758
Keywords: Gender-based violence; Violence against women; Prevention; Response; Legal
Received: September 4, 2023 protection; Essential support services; Vietnam
1st revised: November 30, 2023
2nd revised: January 10, 2024
Accepted: August 14, 2024 1. Introduction
Published online: October 17, 1.1. Vietnam’s social context
2024
Gender inequality is prevalent in most countries around the world, and addressing it is
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article recognized as a key sustainable development goal. Vietnam shares common features with
distributed under the terms of the other Asian countries, such as China, Japan, and Korea, which have been influenced by
Creative Commons Attribution Confucianism. Therefore, Vietnam faces similar challenges in promoting gender equality,
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, especially in eliminating discrimination against women. Gender inequality refers to the
provided the original work is different treatment of individuals based on their sex, including in societal participation,
properly cited. roles, asset control, and decision-making. In Vietnam, societal norms stemming from
Publisher’s Note: AccScience traditional beliefs often dictate that women prioritize family over personal well-being
Publishing remains neutral with and aspirations. The prevailing expectation for women is to defer to male authority,
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional potentially leading to a lack of awareness of or failure to actively assert their legal and
affiliations. policy-granted rights (Asian Development Bank [ADB], 2005). Such inequality has also

Volume 11 Issue 4 (2025) 15 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.1758