Launching ceremony of the contest to find media products "Parallel for Gender Equality"

Attending the ceremony were Mr. Robbie Taylor, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of New Zealand in Vietnam; Ms. Nguyen Van Anh (Director of CSAGA), Ms. Socho Ishikawa, Chief Representative of UN Women; Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) and representatives of the school's leadership and students.

Violence against women is a serious social issue in Vietnam and around the world. According to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), one-third of women and girls worldwide are victims of gender-based violence. In Vietnam, gender-based violence against women and girls is seriously affecting the lives, health and prosperity of women. An effective method to prevent and eliminate violence against women is to raise public awareness of gender equality and gender-based violence. Within the framework of the National Campaign for 16 Days of Activism to Eliminate All Forms of Violence and Discrimination Against Women and Girls, the Center for Research and Applied Sciences in Gender - Family - Women and Adolescents (CSAGA) in collaboration with the Embassy of New Zealand in Hanoi launched the contest to find communication products "Parallel for Gender Equality".

Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) emphasized the significance of this event to the University, where the majority of staff, lecturers and students are female. The topic of gender equality has been emphasized in many research topics of the University, including those of the Department of Family and Gender Sociology, Faculty of Sociology. For the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, the Rector hopes that the Faculty will produce future generations of journalists with a deep understanding of gender equality. For the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, in the context of international integration and globalization, the Rector hopes that the University will contribute to blurring the boundaries between men and women in society in general and between men and women in particular; as well as continuing the tradition of respecting women of the Vietnamese people. Finally, the Rector hopes that the alumni and students of the University, especially female students, will contribute to spreading and promoting this campaign to raise awareness of gender equality in society in general.

Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh speaks at the ceremony

On behalf of the New Zealand Embassy in Hanoi, Mr. Robbie Taylor (Deputy Ambassador) shared that there are still many gender stereotypes in the media in Vietnam. For example, in advertisements, images of women are still conveyed according to inherent and unequal concepts. Therefore, the press and media play an important role in eliminating gender stereotypes. He encouraged students to use social networks such as blogs and Facebook to join hands in eliminating those stereotypes. He believes that the rate of gender inequality can be improved right from the small actions of the younger generation. What is special is that Mr. Robbie Taylor spoke as a father-to-be.

Mr. Robbie Taylor spoke at the ceremony.

On behalf of CSAGA, Ms. Nguyen Van Anh, Director of the Center, shared statistics on gender-based violence in Vietnam and the world. According to a large national study in Vietnam in 2010, 58% of women have experienced violence from their husbands or family members at least once. According to another study by the PLAN organization, 87% of women in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been sexually harassed at least once in their lives. In another study, in over 30 high schools in Hanoi, 14% of children were sexually abused. Notably, gender-based violence occurs not only in rural, low-income areas but also in urban areas. Therefore, CSAGA expressed its honor to cooperate with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in this campaign in particular and practical social activities in general. Regarding future journalists, Ms. Nguyen Van Anh expressed her hope for young generations of journalists to bring about changes in awareness and behavior regarding gender equality.

After the opening speech, students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities listened to the content, rules and questions and answers about gender equality related to the contest to find media products "Parallel for Gender Equality".