Lunch Box Club for English issue 46 discusses gender equality

Many evidences have confirmed that Vietnamese women have many good qualities: diligence, kindness, thoughtfulness... Like other women, they deserve to be respected and loved. However, women are the main targets of gender-based violence - gender-based violence includes acts that cause physical, mental or sexual pain, threats, coercion, and deprivation of freedom in various forms.

“This term reflects the inequality between genders in society, it can happen to anyone, including men. However, women and girls are the ones who suffer the most,” said Khanh Linh, representative of the Humanities – Gender Equality Club.

Gender-based violence comes in many forms: domestic violence, rape, child marriage, human trafficking, fetal sex selection, abuse, sexual harassment, etc. All are pressing social issues.

A study by the General Statistics Office and the United Nations in Vietnam published in 2010 showed that 58% of Vietnamese women after marriage have been physically, mentally, or sexually abused at least once. Each year, there are more than 1,000 cases of sexual abuse of girls and 87% of domestic violence victims have not sought support. From 2005-2009, nearly 6,000 women and children were identified as victims of human trafficking in Vietnam.

“The difficulty here is raising awareness and changing ideology, solving problems that cause women to suffer from double pressure from family and society, and disregarding the legal system on preventing gender-based violence,” said Truong Thi Thu Hien (Vice President of the Humanities Club).

Mr. Etienne Mahler (student of the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language) said: "To prevent this problem, we need to do a good job of communication to change people's awareness, first of all in universities."

The meeting took place enthusiastically with many contributions, bringing students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities many awarenesses about the role and strength of Vietnamese women in modern society.

More information about the Humanities - Gender Equality Club:

• English name: Club of Humanities and Gender Equality (CHGE)
• Year of establishment: 2016.
• Affiliated with the Student Association of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU).
• Motto: Humane people - Equal environment
• The club is a place to disseminate knowledge about gender issues, gender stereotypes, and gender equality; organize and implement action programs to improve access to learning, employment, and advancement opportunities for women and girls; discuss to find out the causes and propose solutions to issues related to gender, gender stereotypes, and gender equality.