A forum on social work to support victims of gender-based violence took place in HCM City on October 8.

Co-organised by the HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Department of Health, Vietnam Women's Academy and UN Women, the event saw the participation of 100 doctors, nurses, social workers, and experts from local hospitals, domestic and foreign organisations.

They shared their experience and proposed ideas to enhance support for victims of gender-based violence in health facilities, especially in the context of COVID-19.

The forum is the premise for the review and planning of a pilot proposal of a one-stop service model to support victims of gender-based violence in HCM City.

At the forum, Deputy Director of the Health Department Nguyen Huu Hung said HCM City has devised various policies to mitigate gender-based violence, including counselling services and hotlines.

Participants pointed out that in addition to health and economic reasons, the root cause of gender-based violence is gender inequality.

They also put forth ideas to bolster quality of social work in health facilities in order to better meet the needs of patients, especially victims of gender-based violence.

A survey conducted in 2019 showed that worldwide, one out of every three women is a victim of gender-based violence. In Vietnam, 63% of women have experienced some forms of violence in their lives.