On January 13, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) launched a $5.5 million project in Hanoi to address to violence against women and girls in Vietnam from 2024 to 2027, state media reported.
The project aims to expand services for victims, with a focus on vulnerable groups, while addressing workplace harassment and promoting behavioral changes.
The initiative, funded by the KOICA and supported technically and financially by the UNFPA, includes establishing two new Sunshine Houses in central provinces of Ha Tinh and Khanh Hoa. These facilities will provide integrated services for victims, including counseling and medical support.
The project also includes a transition phase for the One-Stop Service Center in northern province of Quang Ninh to ensure uninterrupted services during emergencies.
From 2017 to 2021, the Sunshine House model was successfully implemented in Quang Ninh, and additional centers were launched in Thanh Hoa, Danang City, and Ho Chi Minh City in 2022 with Japanese funding. Australian financial support has since covered operational costs for these and newer centers in Hoa Binh and An Giang provinces.
Since its inception, the Sunshine Houses have assisted 1,670 victims and addressed over 26,000 hotline calls. (Tin Tuc, Nhan Dan, QDND, Dai Bieu Nhan Dan, VTV, Dai Bieu Nhan Dan 1, Bao Cao Vien, Vietnam Plus, Kinh Te Do Thi)
Latest Foreign Assistance Briefs
– A delegation from South Korea’s ChungAng University Hospital has offered free medical checkups, consultations, and medicines to 1,000 residents in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Ngai, local media reported. A team of 17 medical professionals provided services in internal medicine, family medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics, and general care. On January 15, representatives from Doosan Enerbility Vietnam (Doosan Vina) and the hospital also donated advanced medical equipment, including a dialysis machine, a six-channel electrocardiograph, and a patient monitor, valued at nearly VND545 million ($22,000), to Quang Ngai General Hospital.
– Nearly 300 students from three secondary schools in the Que Son district of the central province of Quang Nam took part in hands-on activities and real world projects that promoted teamwork, problem solving and self awareness through the new Design for Change framework, part of programs managed by ExxonMobil. ExxonMobil said it continues to drive positive impact for communities in Vietnam, contributing a total of $45,000 in 2024 to support programs ranging from STEM education to women’s empowerment, healthcare and storm relief. ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Vietnam Limited (ExxonMobil Vietnam) donated $10,000 to Teach for Vietnam (TFV) for developing extracurricular programs that focus on key competencies. (Petrotimes)
– The unions of Vietnamese Associations and of Vietnamese Women’s Associations in Europe on January 15 announced the launch of a project on preserving and promoting the homeland’s culture in Europe and its associated online competition on the Lunar New Year festival (Tet) – Vietnam’s biggest annual traditional celebration. The project aims to act as a cultural bridge connecting generations of Vietnamese people in Europe, fostering a love for the homeland, national pride, and cultural integration. At its core, the competition is the first online initiative designed to preserve and promote Vietnam’s cultural identity within the community. It seeks to connect generations, especially the youth, to their cultural roots while promoting Vietnam’s image internationally and strengthening ties within the overseas Vietnamese (OV) group. (Congluan)