The draft law on protection and prevention of family violence (amended) comprises of 9 chapters, 80 articles, providing the principles on protection and prevention of family violence; precautionary, protective, supportive measures to handle legal violations in family violences; responsibilities of the organizations, agncies and individuals in observing the protection and prevention of family violences. The draft law clearly states the applied targets are the state organ, political organization, socio-political organization, socio-political-occupational organization, economic entity, public non-business unit, people’s armed force unit, Vietnamese citizen; diplomatic agency and organization, international organization stationed in Viet Nam; expatriate individual residing in Viet Nam. This law applies to the cases of spouses who have been divorced or living together as a couple without marriage registration.
According to the national survey released in 2020, 31.6% women have suffered at least one violence in 12 months (as of the survery started).
The law on protection and prevention of family violence was approved by the National Assembly of the XII tenure on 21 October 2007, and took effect as of 1st July 2008. The endorsement and progmulgation of the law on protection and prevention of family violence has acknowledged Viet Nam as one of the countries to vanguard in legalizing the fundamentals in the UN Charter on human rights, expressing the strong committments of our Party and State in observing the international conventions, determined to fight against negative acts detrimental to the good cultural values with a view to abolishing evils and backward ideas in an effort to build Viet Nam family prosperous, equal, progressive, happy. After more than 13 years of its implementation, the thinking of people, community and all-level administration has changed positively. Family violence has been decreasing notebly by year in terms of both the violent number and seriousness.
However, this situation is still complicated and unpredictable. According to the survey conducted by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in 2019, it shows that 31.6% women have suffered at least one violence in 12 months (as of ththe survey started), and in every 3 females nearly 1 person (32%) is physically or sexually hurt by husband. Noteworthy, 90.4% females, who have been physically or sexually abused, have not been not able to seek helps. Only 4.8% have been able to do so from the police. The survey also give evidence that family violence has incurred 1,8% loss to GDP each year. The amendment of The law on protection and prevention of family violence is aimed at ameliorating the institution in protection and prevention of family violence in the way that strengthens the measures to protect human rights as stipulated in the 2013 Constitution; hightening the efficiency and effectiveness of the state and social institution in this area, contributing to keeping good traditional values of family, people, promoting socio-economic development of the country in the new situation.
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