Opening Anh Duong House - One stop Service Centre in Hoa Binh province
WVR - Vietnam’s determination to promote gender equality and to address gender-based violence is reaffirmed through the opening of another One-stop service Centre - Anh Duong House in Hoa Binh province.
Latest
 |
| Delegates cut the ribbon to officially open Anh Duong House in Hoa Binh province. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
On January 9, Anh Duong House, the fifth of its kind in Vietnam, officially opened in Hoa Binh to provide essential, comprehensive and integrated services to women and girls who experience or are at risk of gender-based and domestic violence.
As with all One-stop service Centres, Anh Duong House is kitted out to support those living with disabilities as well as serve local ethnic minority communities. Anh Duong House offers a wide range of services meeting international standards including health care, psychosocial support, counselling, social welfare services, emergency shelters, police protection, legal and justice services and referrals.
 |
| Vice Chairman of Hoa Binh People’s Committee Mr. Nguyen Van Toan. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
At the opening ceremony,, Vice Chairman of Hoa Binh People’s Committee Mr. Nguyen Van Toan highlighted the significant contribution of Anh Duong House to the province’s efforts to address gender-based violence and domestic violence. He also confirmed the local authorities’ strong commitment to facilitating the establishment and the effective and sustainable operation of Anh Duong House.
“The People’s Committee will issue a regulation on multi-sectoral coordination mechanism, involving the police, the legal sector, the health sector and other relevant sectors to support survivors of gender-based violence systematically and timely. We will promote communications via various channels and local media to raise the local people’s awareness about the rights of women and children and about the Anh Duong House", Mr. Nguyen Van Toan said.
As in every province in Vietnam and every country in the world gender-based violence remains a critical issue. In the first 6 months of 2024, 26 cases of domestic violence in Hoa Binh were reported with 32 victims, of which women accounted for 78%. Within the same period, Hoa Binh provincial police also received and resolved 11 cases of child sexual abuse and 5 cases of child abuse. These alarming statistics underscore the critical need for a dedicated, survivor-centred facility, like Anh Duong House, in Hoa Binh to address the challenges faced by women and children at risk.
 |
| Mr Le Khanh Luong, Director of the Gender Equality Department, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
Mr Le Khanh Luong, Director of the Gender Equality Department, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs stated at the inauguration that the opening of Anh Duong House in Hoa Binh is necessary as it brings the integrated services closer to survivors of gender-based violence.
“The establishment of the first Anh Duong House in Quang Ninh in 2020 and now the fifth one in Hoa Binh shows our joint commitment to eliminating violence against women and children in particular and in achieving gender equality in general. Our joint efforts have contributed to the implementation of Vietnam’s Strategy on Gender Equality 2021-2030, the National Programme on GBV Prevention and Response 2021-2025 and the amended Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, which was adopted by the National Assembly in November 2022. Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs wants to facilitate the replication of the One Stop Service Centre across Vietnam in the coming period because of the model’s professional operation and long-term impact”, Mr Le Khanh Luong said.
 |
| UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Matt Jackson. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Matt Jackson affirmed that UNFPA has been collaborating closely with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in addressing gender-based violence and in providing support to ensure that survivors of violence are treated with respect and dignity. The services to be provided by Anh Duong House are tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual, promoting respect and non-discrimination. Importantly, the services are provided without judgment or stigma. The One-Stop Service Centre also serves as a hub for community education helping to shift harmful social norms and attitudes that perpetuate violence.
"To ensure the sustainability and long-term impact of the model, UNFPA is committed to joining the Government of Vietnam and all partners to address the urgent need for survivor-centred services nationwide. This will help to address gender-based violence comprehensively and consistently across Vietnam, ensuring that all survivors can access timely and quality support services, regardless of their location or situation", Mr. Matt Jackson emphasized.
 |
| Development Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Vietnam Ms. Naomi Cook. (Photo: Ngọc Anh) |
Anh Duong House in Hoa Binh province was established under the project “Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children in Vietnam 2021–2025” with the funds from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Government of Australia. The project’s goals include that all women and children in Vietnam, including those most vulnerable, are able to live a life free from violence.
In her address at the opening ceremony, Development Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Vietnam Ms. Naomi Cook confirmed: “Australia is pleased to partner with the Government of Vietnam and UNFPA to support survivors and allies who choose not to stay silence about violence against women and children. Ending violence against women and children is the responsibility of all. This project will work to strengthen systems that respond to violence and provide support to survivors. We hope that this long-term, practical approach will make a difference where it matters most and that women and children will be able to seek and receive help when they need it.”
The first Anh Duong House was opened in Quang Ninh in 2020 followed by Anh Duong Houses in Thanh Hoa, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, transforming the response to GBV in Vietnam. They have provided integrated services to 1,666 survivors and handled over 26,260 hotline calls. These centres have set a powerful example of providing comprehensive support to GBV survivors, demonstrating how multisectoral coordination, fostered through partnerships with MOLISA, local authorities and international partners, can transform responses to violence and create safe, accessible pathways to recovery.
Every woman and girl in Vietnam deserve to live a life free from violence, with dignity and opportunity.
 |
| The project’s goals include that all women and children in Vietnam, including those most vulnerable, are able to live a life free from violence. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
 |
| Anh Duong House offers a wide range of services meeting international standards including health care, psychosocial support, counselling, social welfare services, emergency shelters, police protection, legal and justice services and referrals. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
| The One-Stop Service Centre, which is called in Vietnam as “Anh Duong House" (Sunshine House), aims to detect, prevent, and support survivors of violence. It was first opened in Quang Ninh in April 2020 by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) with technical and financial support from UNFPA in partnership with KOICA. In early 2022, MOLISA kicked off another Anh Duong House in Thanh Hoa with technical support from UNFPA. In June 2022, the two additional OSSCs in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang City were set up to support survivors of gender-based violence by CSAGA, given its experience with gender-based violence and its close partnerships with local and international organisations and government agencies at all levels. |
