Dien Bien: Communication campaign to reduce child marriage and consanguineous marriage

Child marriage and consanguineous marriage affect health, psychology as well as socio-economic development. (Photo: Hanh Nguyen)

To reduce the situation of child marriage and consanguineous marriage, Dien Bien province authority has recently implemented many activities to communicate and raise awareness among the people.

Policies to support

Dien Bien is a mountainous border province located in the Northwest of the country, with 10 districts, towns and cities; the population is about 590,000 people with 19 ethnic groups such as the Thai, H’Mong, Kinh, Dao, Kho Mu, Ha Nhi, Laos, Cantonese (Chinese), Khang, Muong, Cong, Xi Mun, Si La, Nung, Phu La, Tho, Tay, San Chay and other ethnic groups.

To reduce the situation of child marriage and consanguineous marriage, in recent years, the party committees and local authorities have paid special attention. The Prime Minister issued Decision No. 498/QD-TTg dated April 14, 2014, approving the Project "Reducing child marriage and consanguineous marriage in ethnic minority areas in the period 2015 - 2025 ", the Committee for Ethnic Minorities has issued documents with guidance for the implementation of the Prime Minister's Decision in the period 2015-2020 and 2021-2025 (phase II).

Based on documents from the upper levels, the Dien Bien Provincial People's Committee issued a document establishing the Project Implementation Steering Committee and documents and plans to implement the Project. The People's Committees of districts, towns and cities promulgate action plans; several levels of committees issue Resolutions and Directives to lead and direct the implementation of the Project. However, child marriage and consanguineous marriage still occur in ethnic minority areas.

According to statistical data, from 2021 to August 2023, the reported figure in the whole province is 11,543 couples getting married, of which 3,229 couples are married at immature age, accounting for 28.5%; Consanguineous marriages are 17 couples, accounting for 0.14%.

The situation of child marriage and consanguineous marriage in the province mainly takes place among the H’Mong ethnic people. Popularly, the ages are usually 15 to 17 years old for girls, 16 to 19 years old for boys.

Diverse forms of communication campaign

To raise awareness about child marriage and consanguineous marriage, from 2021 to 30 August, 2023, the Dien Bien Provincial Ethnic Committee coordinated with the Department of Justice to organize 12 conferences to spread information on the harmful effects of child marriage and consanguineous marriage in 11 communes, one boarding school for ethnic minorities, with over 1,120 attendees who are from commune leadership, commune organizations, commune civil servants, family holders, village elders, village chief, reputable persons; parents, people of marriageable age, and adolescents; 01 training conference to improve professional capacity for 85 officials and civil servants working on ethnic affairs and leaders of People's Committees of extremely difficult communes.

In districts, towns and cities, 2,867 communication meetings were organized with 170,512 participants. In addition, all levels and sectors have actively organized communication on mass media, through propaganda materials, competitions, dialogues, consulting and legal aid activities.

In addition, the mandated authorities in districts, towns and cities produced 50,846 leaflets to spread knowledge about the Law on Marriage and Family and the harmful effects of child marriage and consanguineous marriage; posting 101 fliers and banners with the message "Say no to child marriage and consanguineous marriage".

In particular, the Dien Bien Provincial Ethnic Committee established 12 clubs to conduct communication activities to reduce child marriage and consanguineous marriage in Tuan Giao district, Muong Ang. Muong Cha district in coordination with the health sector to build a pilot model, a thematic paradigm "Intervention in child marriage and consanguineous marriage".

Dien Bien Dong district health staff propagates the consequences of child marriage and consanguineous marriage to local people in Keo Lom commune (Dien Bien Dong district). (Photo: Hanh Nguyen)

As a result from the above-mentioned efforts, it has been shown that the work of communication and dissemination of legal education on marriage and family, prevention of domestic violence, and gender equality, associated with information of regulations on prevention of child marriage and consanguineous marriage in ethnic minority areas in Dien Bien province is diverse and effective.

The communication and advocacy activities positively raise awareness and change the behavior of ethnic minorities in communes, villages, and hamlets with high rates or risks of child marriage and consanguineous marriage.

Some localities have incorporated regulations on child marriage prevention into building village regulations, conventions, and cultural family ranking, thereby contributing to reducing child marriage and consanguineous marriage among ethnic minorities in the area.

To continue to successfully implement the Project "Reducing child marriage and consanguineous marriage in ethnic minority areas in the period 2015 - 2025" in the coming time, Mr. Mua Thanh Son - Head of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of the Dien Bien Provincial People's Council said: “Continue to communicate and disseminate legal education on marriage and family, domestic violence prevention, gender equality associated with spreading regulations on preventing child marriage and consanguineous marriage in ethnic minority areas; regularly innovate the forms and contents of information suitable for each area and each subject, focusing on adolescents, young adults, and students of high schools in the area; the enactment of the Project 'Reducing child marriage and consanguineous marriage in ethnic minority areas' must be inserted into the annual inspection and supervision program of localities and units, and we shall conduct the evaluation on the implementation for reporting to the Provincial People's Committee".

At the same time, it is to prepare specific goals and mandates on marriage and family, on reducing child marriage and consanguineous marriage to integrate them in the annual socio-economic development program and plan of the authorities, to hit the goals and targets assigned by the Prime Minister by 2025.

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