KOICA Continues to Support Women's Safe House Model in Vietnam

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have pledged to undertake “bridge-phase” activities to ensure the sustainability of the innovative One Stop Service Centre model, which is commonly known as “Anh Duong House (Sunshine House)” in Vietnam.

It was first estabslihed in April 2020 through the KOICA-funded project “Building a model to respond to violence against women and girls in Vietnam,” for the period of 2017 – 2021 with the total budget of USD 2.5 million.

Cho Han Deog, country director of KOICA Vietnam speaks at the event. Source: UNFPA Vietnam

Cho Han Deog, country director of KOICA Vietnam and Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative for Vietnam had signed a grant arrangement under which KOICA will provide financial support of USD 250,000 to UNFPA.

The grant aims to continue supporting Anh Duong House and its hotline for victims of violence and to organize outreach communication activities and advocacy efforts to sustain and replicate the model in other locations. The grant arrangement covers a bridge phase through 2023 when a new and larger project is expected to be launched.

UNFPA will work in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs, and the northern province of Quang Ninh to implement the activities to ensure the continuous provision of integrated essential services for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Hanoi, Cho Han Deog stressed that during his recent visit to Anh Duong House in Quang Ninh, he observed how the House has effectively provided support and helped vulnerable women and girls.

According to him, KOICA has decided to continue supporting Anh Duong House in Quang Ninh as it has made significant contributions to the efforts made by the Vietnamese Government and by the local authorities of Quang Ninh to address gender-based violence and domestic violence.

"We want this model to be replicated in other locations. At KOICA, we embrace a zero-tolerance culture that says NO to any forms of gender-based violence,” he said.

Anh Duong House provides safe shelter and support services to battered women and their dependent children. Source: UNFPA Vietnam

Anh Duong House became fully operational in April 2020, providing a wide range of services, meeting international standards, including health care, psychological support, counselling, social welfare services, emergency shelters, police protection, legal and justice services, and referrals for many GBV survivors, not only in Quang Ninh province but also in 20 cities and provinces throughout the country.

Anh Duong House’s hotline service, which is available 24/7, has so far received more than 15,300 calls in two years. Most survivors of violence who have called the hotline are female (accounting for 93.6%), and most GBV survivors are aged 16–59. Minors under the age of 16 accounts for 10% of calls. About 20 per cent of calls came from Quang Ninh province and 80% from other provinces.

In addition, nearly 500 service providers from police, justice, health, and social work from both provincial and grassroots levels in Quang Ninh, received training for the provision of essential services for GBV survivors.

With technical support from UNFPA, Anh Duong House has been duplicated in the northern central province of Thanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang City.

In her remarks at the signing event, Naomi Kitahara thanked KOICA, and Cho Han Deog in particular, for the support given to Anh Duong House.

She emphasized the signing of the grant arrangement today reflects KOICA’s trust to UNFPA. UNFPA will make sure that the funds from KOICA will be used effectively. UNFPA will continue to work closely with Vietnamese partners to implement the bridge-phase activities of the Project Building a model to respond to violence against women and girls in Vietnam at the national level and in Quang Ninh province.

“Zero GBV and harmful practices” is one of the three main pillars in the new UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2022-2025, and a clear priority for UNFPA Viet Nam’s new country program 2022-2026. UNFPA will scale up efforts to end gender-based violence and harmful practices in Vietnam,” she highlighted.

During the “bridging phase” through the end of June 2023, eight training courses will be organized for managerial staff and service providers in Quang Ninh province and locations which are planned to set up additional One Stop Service Centres.

Two one-day advocacy workshops will be organized for decision-makers in Quang Ninh as well as at the central level to advocate for the allocation of the budget for maintaining and replicating the OSSC model. In addition, five innovative communication events will be arranged to raise public awareness on violence against women and girls and disseminate information on the hotline of the Anh Duong House.

UN Adopts “International Day of Women in Diplomacy” to Honour Female Leaders The “International Day of Women in Diplomacy” is recently adopted by the United Nations (UN), which is to be celebrated every year on June 24. ...

Vietnamese and Lao Women Celebrate Friendship In Da Nang, the Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022 was celebrated on July 2. Collectives and individuals of the Lao Women's Union were also ...

First Workshop on UN Peacekeeping and International Policing in Vietnam UN Women helps train Vietnamese police for United Nations peacekeeping and international policing.