Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of VNFU Nguyen Xuan Dinh welcomed the delegation of the United Nations Population Fund for Asia-Pacific region the United Nations Population Fund for Asia to visit and work with VNFU.

 
Vice- Chairman of VNFU Nguyen Xuan Dinh introduced to the delegation the position, role, and organizational structure of VNFU; discussed the cooperation opporunities between VNFU and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in providing support services for victims of gender-based violence, men's engagement in preventing and responding to gender-based violence in Vietnam...
 

Vice- Chairman of VNFU Nguyen Xuan Dinh affirmed that VNFU is a socio-political organization of the Vietnamese peasantry, organized at 04 levels from the central to the grassroots. Its total number of nationwide is over 10 million.

 
The important function of VNFU is to care for and protect the legitimate rights and interests of its farmer members, to organize service activities, provide advice and support to farmers in their production, business and life...

 
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dinh highly appreciated and sincerely thanked the support and close coordination of UNFPA. Over the last time, UNFPA has always accompanied VNFU in the work of gender equality and prevention of domestic violence, promoting gender equality, enabling women to be equal to men, which contributes to eliminating gender-based violence against women and girls in Vietnam.

 
Over the past 30 years, UNFPA has supported VNFU to implement many practical activities related to domestic violence prevention with remarkable results.

 
Within the framework of the project "Prevention and response to domestic violence and other harmful practices" for the period 2022-2026, UNFPA has developed a pilot "Responsible Father" Club and operates a free national hotline 18001768 to support women and girls who are victims of violence.

 
The toll-free hotline 18001768 to support women and girls who are victims of violence was officially established on November 20, 2021 in the context of Covid-19 pandemic with risks of increased domestic violence and gender-based violence globally and in Vietnam with the aim of increasing access to information and support services for female farmer members who are victims of domestic violence in the rural areas of Vietnam.
 
 
As of September 30, 2024, the hotline has received 17,454 calls to support 2,530 women and girls who are victims of domestic violence including 75 people with disabilities, 289 cases of victims transferred to Anh Duong houses and other temporary shelters.

 
Since 2023, UNFPA has supported VNFU to replicate the Responsible Fatherhood Program in 03 other provinces/cities of Bac Ninh, Da Nang and Lam Dong with 05 Clubs each, including 15 Clubs attracting 525 young men aged 18-35. Notably, the implementation of the Responsible Fatherhood Program in Da Nang has been supported by the Australian Government through the EVAWC project.

 
The lessons learned in the process of developing and maintaining the Responsible Father Club will be adjusted, learned and replicated nationwide by VNFU at all levels, contributing to building prosperous, equal, progressive, happy, violence-free farmer families and reducing domestic violence in the rural areas of Vietnam.

 
 
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dinh believed that with inter-sectoral, multi-organizational coordination, technical and financial support from UNFPA and donors, the Project "Prevention, control and response to gender-based violence and other harmful practices for the period of 2022 - 2026" will be operated effectively which meets the needs of support and protection for the safety of women and children as well as raising awareness and changing gender stereotypes of men in Vietnam towards genuine gender equality between men and women.

 
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dinh proposed VNFU to continue its support for the operation of hotline 18001768 in order to provide free advice and support to women and girls who are victims of gender-based violence and domestic violence, support the expansion of the "Responsible Father" Club in lots of provinces and cities across the country, support the establishment and pilot operation of the Support and Advice Model for Men to help men build equal, healthy, non-violent relationships, support community communication activities on gender equality and prevention of gender-based violence, focusing on men and boys.

 
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Pio Smith - Director of the United Nations Population Fund for Asia - Pacific sincerely thanked VNFU for the warm and enthusiastic reception given to the working delegation.

 
Mr. Pio Smith expressed his impression and appreciation for the results of cooperation between the UNFPA and VNFU in implementing gender equality and preventing domestic violence, promoting gender equality over the past 30 years.
 

 
At the end of the working session, the two sides agreed to keep being reliable partners with supporting and accompanying each other. Moreover, the two sides regularly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the cooperation process to ensure the usage of resources in the work of gender equality and prevention of domestic violence.