To mark the Action Month for Gender Equality and Gender-Based Violence Prevention, 12 representatives of UN agencies working Vietnam have produced a video clip thanking local frontline staff for protecting women and children from gender-based violence.

In the film, the representatives come together to express their gratitude for Vietnamese hotline staff, social service workers, medical staff, doctors, nurses, midwives, psychologists, police forces, soldiers, lawyers, prosecutors, and judges.

This comes after the number of calls made to the Vietnam Women’s Union hotline from women experiencing domestic violence during the social distancing period witnessed a surge of 50%. In addition, there was an annual increase of 80% in terms of the number of victims either being rescued or taken to the union’s Peace House.

A survey aimed at detailing the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on children, conducted by the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights, revealed that 48% of respondents said they felt vulnerable. The key factor behind this was verbal abuse, while 8% claimed to have been beaten. A further 32.5% stated that they were not properly cared for by their parents.