Project Overview

Recently, the media has been overrun with cases and articles on gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse.The press has been more effective in bringing these cases into open discussion. Many public authorities and social organizations have also joined in the hope of preventing further cases from happening. However, survivors still face difficulties in reporting these cases to the authorities or recovering from physical and mental injuries. 100 articles from four major newspapers in Vietnam have been analyzed as samples for this research project: VnExpress, Tuoi Tre, Women Online and Ho Chi Minh City Law. Additionally, the project looks at nearly 4,000 anonymous testimonies of victims of gender-based violence (GBV) on SOS - Share Our Stories' Facebook page. The research indicates that:

● Most of the victims said that they were heavily traumatized after the incidents. 90.4% of victims reported feeling anxious, scared, depressed and devalued after being abused. 68.5% of the victims said they had intrusive thoughts and distressing recollections of the sexual harassment, rape and abuse cases they had experienced.

● Meanwhile, the majority of perpetrators (80.9%) remained unreported.

● The ambiguous legal system, along with social and cultural stereotypes that perpetuate victim blaming, are the reasons that more than half of the victims (58.4%) kept their experience a secret and did not take further action. Only 30.3% of victims had shared their traumatic experiences with relatives.

● Looking at how victims described both themselves and the perpetrators, the study also found that 1 in 3 victims blamed themselves for the GBV they experienced.

With a desire to promote social change that brings about greater respect and support for those who have experienced gender-based violence, sexual harassment and abuse, CARE International in Vietnam, The Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment (iSEE) and the Center for Studies and Applied Science in Gender - Family - Women and Adolescents (CSAGA) have initiated the project "BRAVE - Because you are trusted", sponsored by the Australian Government. The project aims to address gender-based violence in Vietnam by changing the culture of victim blaming through social media campaigns and awareness-raising events. "Because you are trusted" fund supports groups and organizations that undertake initiatives to address this issue.

Timeline

● September 2019 - January 2020: "Because you are trusted" Initiative Fund

● October 2019 - April 2020: "You can talk to me" Social media campaign

● November 2019 - December 2019: "Empathy Journey" Workshop series

● December 2019: “You can talk to me - I'm here for you” Exhibition

Activities within the project

"Because you are trusted" Initiative Fund

"Because you are trusted" initiative fund supports five community projects, each implemented in various forms, that share a collective mission to support victims of gender-based violence as they recover from their injuries. These projects are:

● Strong Ladies (Ho Chi Minh) - "I am Strong" project. Through training and social media engagement, this project focuses on strengthening the capacity of transgender women in Ho Chi Minh so that they can better understand the impact of victim blaming on the community. Together, they will develop new strategies and share mechanisms for dealing with GBV.

● VOGE (Hanoi) - short film project "Uneasy". This film revolves around the story of two sexual assault victims, with the aim of educating young people about consent in sex and the issue of victim blaming, as well as encouraging discussion on restorative justice.

● YChange (Hanoi) - “Colorless Eyes” art project. This project supports vulnerable groups, particularly those who suffer GBV, in telling their stories and recapturing their memories through film photos. With the aim of changing viewers’ perceptions, it encourages them to act kindly as they accompany GBV victims/survivors.

● Thanh Hoa Pioneer Group (Thanh Hoa) helps to address domestic violence in the locality through sharing and training courses to improve the capacity of the community, as well as changing the mediation process of local authorities to support GBV victims/survivors instead of simply trying to "calm" them and their families.

● The Happiness Project - "I am happy" project. This project offers free psychological consultations to people who have experienced GBV, and provides psychological first aid training for the leaders of community organizations working on gender rights issues, as well as LGBTQ+ rights.

“You can talk to me” Social media campaign

“You can talk to me”

“Dear daughter, you can talk to me”

“Dear brother, you can talk to me”

“Dear friend, you can talk to me”

The name of this campaign is a heartfelt, comforting note to those who experienced GBV that they can always trust and confide in us, their "confidants". Instead of focusing on changing the legal system or seeking justice after the BLG cases, the campaign focuses on the recovery process of the victim/survivor of the GBV. The campaign has two main objectives, which are (1) to raise public awareness about the culture of victim blaming in Vietnam and (2) to provide information, including missions, roles, and skills needed as a "confidant" to create supportive networks for those who suffer from GBV. Since October 2019, topic posts, social experiment clips, and confessions will be posted continuously on the Facebook page "SOS - Share Our Stories", in the hope of stimulating discussion on the topic, as well as building a community of "confidants", both knowledgeable and willing to speak up for victims/survivors of GBV.

"Empathy Journey" Workshop series

As the very first person that the victims/survivors of GBV trust and choose to confide in, the confidant plays a very important role in the recovery process of the victim. With this in mind, the "Empathy Journey" workshop series is organized to provide "confidants" with the necessary information and skills to listen and support GBV victims in the best way. Through theatrical arts such as playback theater, improv theater and nonviolent communication, the workshop series holds 3-4 consecutive sessions at various high schools and universities in Hanoi, creating an open safe space where people who are chosen to be "confidants" can share their difficulties, develop their empathy and prepare themselves for responding to GBV victims.

"You can talk to me - I'm here for you" Exhibition

"She dressed slutty at the time, didn't she?", "What kind of man is too weak to fight back?", "What did you do to provoke him?"; "Is she making stories up?"...

Words, behaviors, and actions that blame the victim as thr cause of sexual harassment and abuse are unfortunately quite common. They come in many forms: posts, comments on social media, or even rumors spreading between people.

The "You can talk to me - I'm here for you" exhibition invites us to embark on a journey of courage. This is the place where contemporary artists present different dimensions of the "victim blaming" issue through their artwork. It is very likely that on this journey, each of you will come to face yourself, question yourself, and identify yourself as a part of the issue.

Sponsors & Organizing Committee

CARE

CARE International in Vietnam is an international non-governmental organization that has been active in Vietnam for many years. Their activities focus primarily on ensuring long-term positive change for vulnerable groups, especially ethnic minority women in mountainous areas and vulnerable women in urban areas. In the project "BRAVE - Because you are trusted", CARE International in Vietnam is responsible for managing, monitoring, evaluating and learning, as well as ensuring the exchange of information and providing technical assistance on GBV issues and activities related to policy advocacy.

iSEE

The Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment (iSEE) is a local non-governmental organization that accompanies individuals and community groups in the process of building their own capacities and position to promote and defend their rights. For the project "BRAVE - Because you are trusted", the Institute of iSEE conducts communication activities, community events to address the culture of victim blaming in Vietnam, as well as building networks, strengthening the capacity of groups and organizations interested in this issue.

SOS

S.O.S - Share Our Stories is a community organization that works to support people who have experienced sexual harassment and assault. S.O.S facilitates the main platform for runing the social media campaign "You can talk to me" within the project "BRAVE - Because you are trusted".

CSAGA

The Center for Studies and Applied Science in Gender - Family - Women and Adolescents (CSAGA) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization working to promote the realization of women and children's rights, including those affected by stigma and violence in Vietnam. Based on their experience and relationships, this project sees CSAGA working directly with journalists and assisting victims/survivors of GBV in building their own capacity to support others in similar circumstances.

Contact:

For further information, please contact the Gender Justice Group at the Institute for Studies of Society, Economics and Environment at genderjustice@isee.org.vn or Mr. Hoang Giang Son, Gender Justice Program Coordinator at hgson@isee.org.vn