On the morning of August 11, 2023, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, Ms. Tran Thi Van Anh, held a working session with the Office of Cultural Lifestyle and Family (OCLF) to review the results of family affairs management tasks in the last five months of 2023 and outline objectives for 2024.
Ms. Tran Thi Van Anh, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, presided over the working session on the morning of August 11, 2023.
Noteworthy Achievements
According to the general evaluation, the state management of family affairs in the first 7 months of 2023, as implemented by the OCLF, has been timely and adhered to the planned schedule, yielding commendable results. There have been positive shifts in the awareness of Party committees and authorities at all levels, from the city to the grassroots, regarding family affairs. Communication efforts about family issues have been intensified through diverse and rich forms. Key activities have attracted attention and participation from various levels, sectors, organizations, and the public.
Particularly noteworthy is the innovation in propagating family affairs, emphasizing a continuous improvement in quality, and fostering a healthy cultural environment in the construction of warm, progressive, and happy families. These efforts contribute significantly to enhancing the effectiveness of achieving set goals.
In the leadership and direction of family affairs during the first 7 months of 2023, the Department of Culture and Sports has implemented several fundamental tasks. This includes providing counsel to the city’s Family Affairs Steering Committee, issuing 21 directives and guidelines to uniformly organize state management of family affairs within the locality. Exemplary documents include the Family Affairs State Management Plan, the Program to Build Capital Families in the industrialization and modernization period in 2023, and plans for organizing events commemorating International Happiness Day on March 20, and Vietnamese Family Day on June 28.
In the field of information and communication, the OCLF has collaborated with central and Hanoi-based media agencies such as Vietnam News Agency, Hanoi Radio and Television Broadcasting, Hanoimoi Newspaper, and Economic and Urban Newspaper. The collaboration aimed to disseminate information about family affairs activities, promote the traditional values of families and showcase exemplary cultural family models within the city.
Especially on occasions such as International Happiness Day on March 20 and Vietnamese Family Day on June 28, Hanoi has organized a myriad of activities. These include exhibitions, specialized talks, seminars, cultural exchanges, and artistic performances. Districts and towns have conducted extensive propaganda through radio stations and electronic information portals regarding the significance of these commemorative days. They have also covered related topics such as the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention, Gender Equality Law, Party directives, and state laws on family affairs. These efforts aim to disseminate knowledge about family life, contribute to reducing domestic violence and divorce rates, promote gender equality within families, and foster the creation of warm, equal, progressive, happy, and sustainable family environments. Simultaneously, they underscore the family’s responsibility in educating its members to lead healthy, honest, compassionate, loyal, and principled lives, thus contributing to the construction of harmonious, happy, and progressive families that play a part in building the capital city during the industrialization and modernization era.
The construction of Cultural Families aligns with the implementation of the “Whole Population Unites to Build Cultural Life” movement. The OCLF has provided guidance to districts and towns to enhance the construction of cultural families, emphasizing quality improvement through adherence to the registration, evaluation, and recognition processes of Cultural Family titles according to Decree No. 122/ND-CP of the Government. Criteria such as gender equality and non-violence have been incorporated into the evaluation of Cultural Family titles. Additionally, adherence to village conventions, neighborhood agreements, and community pledges is implemented to achieve the goals of warm, equal, progressive, happy, and sustainable families. In 2023, the entire city has seen 1,926,269 out of 2,009,986 registered households achieve Cultural Family titles, achieving a rate of 95.8%.
The implementation of the Code of Conduct within families has been seamlessly integrated into the “Whole Population Unites to Build Cultural Life” movement by districts and towns. This involves the annual registration for Cultural Family titles through various means. For instance, Ba Dinh district committed to engaging every ward and neighborhood, while districts like Ha Dong, Hoan Kiem, and Dong Anh used leaflets for propaganda. Dan Phuong district organized conferences for the registration and implementation of the Code of Conduct within families.
In the initial 7 months of 2023, the OCLF has demonstrated proficiency in implementing measures against domestic violence while actively participating in the nationwide Action Month for Domestic Violence Prevention and Control. The OCLF has consolidated insights and provided input on the draft of the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. It has organized awareness campaigns aligning with the national Action Month for Domestic Violence Prevention and Control.
Various districts and towns within the city have diligently propagated initiatives to combat domestic violence and actively responded to the National Action Month for Domestic Violence Prevention and Control. These efforts encompass a range of strategies, including disseminating information through electronic portals of districts and towns, as well as community-level online platforms. Additionally, they have utilized grassroots radio systems, displayed banners, integrated information into regular community activities, and conducted legal assistance programs. Furthermore, they have organized events within neighborhoods and localities, focusing on educating residents about the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control.
The OCLF has taken the lead in establishing the content for activities within clubs promoting happy families and models for preventing and combating domestic violence. The maintenance of 790 active anti-domestic violence club models and sustainable family development clubs across the city attests to this commitment. The department has identified 2,193 trustworthy community addresses and has ensured the operation of 695 hotline numbers in neighborhoods. These hotlines, actively supported by a team of collaborators and propagandists, aim to protect women and children. The focus is also on reinforcing reconciliation efforts in cases involving conflicts to proactively limit instances of domestic violence.
Addressing Challenges and Limitations, and Fulfilling Tasks in the Last 5 Months of 2023
In addition to the accomplishments, the state management of family affairs in Hanoi during the first 7 months of 2023 faces certain challenges and limitations. Specifically, the information dissemination efforts and the organization of focal activities in some localities and units lack enthusiasm, and individual initiatives fail to create a broad impact on the populace.
The stability of personnel overseeing family affairs at the grassroots level is a concern, with frequent changes leading to interruptions in continuous monitoring, advisory services, guidance, and implementation of family-related tasks. Furthermore, city officials responsible for family affairs also juggle additional responsibilities within their departments, affecting the effectiveness of advisory services and the implementation of family-related initiatives.
The key priorities outlined by the OCLF for the final 5 months of 2023 in the state management of family affairs include: advising on the organization of a conference to promote the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control for officials engaged in family affairs at various levels; Advising on the planning and organization of a seminar on the Code of Conduct within families; Arranging specialized discussions commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls (November 25) and the Month of Action for Gender Equality and Gender-Based Violence Prevention; Advising on the plan to produce a short film to promote the content of the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control; Collecting and processing reports and data on families and domestic violence prevention in 2022, following Circular No. 07/2017/TT-BVHTTDL from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; Organizing inspections and monitoring activities related to family affairs and domestic violence prevention, aligned with the “Whole Population Unites to Build Cultural Life” movement at the district and town levels; Urging and consolidating reports on the results of implementing family affairs and domestic violence prevention in 2023, advising on the development of a plan for implementing family affairs and domestic violence prevention in 2024.
Concluding and providing directives at the working session, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, Ms. Tran Thi Van Anh, acknowledged the achieved outcomes in state management of family affairs, a domain overseen by the OCLF. Noteworthy were the well-organized activities commemorating significant events related to family affairs, such as International Day of Happiness on March 20, Vietnam Family Day on June 28, and active participation in months dedicated to combating domestic violence and advocating for children’s rights. Deputy Director Tran Thi Van Anh emphasized the need for the OCLF to diversify its information dissemination and promotional activities related to family affairs in the upcoming period. She underscored the importance of improved coordination between the OCLF and other units within the Department to ensure the effective implementation of state management tasks, extending from the city to the grassroots level. Particularly, the OCLF should promptly address existing challenges and limitations to successfully fulfill the objectives of family affairs in the last five months of 2023 and in the subsequent years.
Reporter