VOICES FROM ASIAN FEMINIST ACTIVISM: Using education-entertainment in breaking the silence about sexual violence against women in Vietnam

Abstract

Sexual violence against women is a serious violation of women's sexual and reproductive rights. In Vietnam, sexual violence is prevalent, but remains hidden behind silence. There are many reasons why women maintain such silence. Firstly, there is considerable prejudice and stigma reinforced by the mass media regarding survivors of sexual violence. Secondly, many women think that meeting the sexual demands of their husbands or partners are their obligation and responsibility. Hence, they accept the fact and cannot refuse sex even if they do not want to. Thirdly, support services, particularly healthcare, do not provide reliable attention to survivors of sexual violence. This paper examines the current situation of sexual violence, discusses how to break silence on sexual violence, and presents the barriers and opportunities for its control and prevention. It also shares some of the experiences of the Center for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender, Family, Women and Adolescents (CSAGA) to break the silence on sexual violence through the use of social media, documentary films, and other edutainment forms to attract the attention of the public and policy makers and appeal to them to take action to end it.

Headnote

Sexual violence against women is a serious violation of women's sexual and reproductive rights. In Vietnam, sexual violence is prevalent, but remains hidden behind silence. There are many reasons why women maintain such silence. Firstly, there is considerable prejudice and stigma reinforced by the mass media regarding survivors of sexual violence. Secondly, many women think that meeting the sexual demands of their husbands or partners are their obligation and responsibility. Hence, they accept the fact and cannot refuse sex even if they do not want to. Thirdly, support services, particularly healthcare, do not provide reliable attention to survivors of sexual violence. This paper examines the current situation of sexual violence, discusses how to break silence on sexual violence, and presents the barriers and opportunities for its control and prevention. It also shares some of the experiences of the Center for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender, Family, Women and Adolescents (CSAGA) to break the silence on sexual violence through the use of social media, documentary films, and other edutainment forms to attract the attention of the public and policy makers and appeal to them to take action to end it.

Keywords: sexual violence; women's sexual and reproductive rights; breaking silence; women's empowerment; edutainment

Abstract in Vietnamese

B?ol?c tình d?c ðoiv?iph? n? vi ph?m nghiêm trong quy?ns?ckh?e sinh s?n và quy?n an toàn tình d?cc?aph? n?. ? Vi?t Nam, b?ol?c tình d?c khá ph? bi?nnhung v?n ðang bi che d?u trong im l?ng và chua ðu?c quan tâm gi?i quy?t. Có nhi?u nguyên nhân khi?nph? n? gi? im lang và ch?pnh?n khi bi b?ol?c tình d?c. Th? nh?tlàc?ng ð?ng còn nhi?u ðinh ki?nvàk? thi v?iph? n? là n?n nhân c?ab?ol?c tình d?c. Truy?n thông ð?i chúng c?aVi?t Nam ti?pt?cc?ng co các ðinh ki?n này cho nên th?ctr?ng b?ol?c tình d?cv?n ti?pt?c là câu chuy?n ð?ng sau cánh c?ac?am?i gia ðình Vi?t Nam. Th? hai là b?n thân ngu?iph? n? cung cho r?ng ph?cv? và ðáp ?ng nhu c?u tình d?cc?ac?ach?ng hay ngu?i yêu là "trách nhi?m" và "b?nph?n" c?a ngu?iph? n?. Chính vì v?y, ho không kháng c? và ch?pnh?n quan h? tình d?c ngay c? khi ho không mong muon. Ngoài ra, h? thong tr? giúp n?n nhân, ð?cbi?t là các co s? ýt? chuas?n sàng và ð? tin c?y ð? h? tr? cho các n?n nhân bi b?ol?c tình d?c. T? th?ctr?ng và boic?nh trên, bài vi?t s? t?p trung tìm hi?u tình tr?ng b?ol?c tình d?c, các cách th?c ð? phá v? s? im l?ng v? v?n ð? b?ol?c tình d?c, tìm hi?unh?ng rào c?nvàco h?i trong ho?t ð?ng phòng chong b?ol?c tình d?c ? Vi?t Nam. Bài vi?tcung chia s? kinh nghi?mc?a Trung tâm Nghiên cuú và U'ng d?ng Khoa hoc vê` Gioí, Gia ðình, Ph? nu* và Vi thành niên (CSAGA) trong viêc? giúp n?n nhân c?ab?ol?c tình d?c lên ti?ng thông qua m?ng xã hôi? nhu:s? d?ng Facebook fanpage "Yêu thuong và t? do",s? d?ng phim tài li?uvà các hình th?cgi?i trí-giáo d?c khác ð? thu hút s? quan tâm c?a các nhà ho?t ð?ng chính sách và công chúng v? v?n ð? b?ol?c tình d?c, kêu goi ho lên ti?ng và hành ð?ng ð? ch?md?tb?ol?c tình d?ct?iViêt? Nam.

Keywords: b?ol?c tình d?c; quy?ns?ckh?e sinh s?n và tình d?c; phá v? s? im lang; tang quy?nnang cho ph? n?;gi?i trí-giáo d?c

The problem

Violence against women, including sexual violence, remains a complex problem in Vietnam, arising out of attitudes and behaviors that are deeply rooted in culture and hard to change. Survivors of sexual violence often live with stress, fear and fatigue. Furthermore, they also are physically injured, have repeated abortions, and get diseases such as STDs and STIs, that impact their sexual and reproductive health. In the study of165 survivors, up to 49.5percent of the women had contemplated committing suicide and 40percent had actually tried to do so (Nguyen & Pham, 2012).

Not all the women who survived sexual violence had identified their experiences as crimes or violation of their sexual and reproductive health rights. They only felt tired and miserable. Women often refused to have sex but still tried to meet the demands of their husbands or intimate partners as an obligation. Victims kept silent and accepted their fate; they considered acts of sexual violence by their husbands, intimate partners within the family, or by strangers, customers, bosses or colleagues to be normal. They suffered in silence without seeking outside support. They were identified as victims only when they came to our counseling service, in cases of serious injury or when they sought legal aid for divorce.

Although the Vietnamese government has demonstrated its commitments and progress in ending gender based violence (GBV) through the 2006 Law on Gender Equality and the 2007 Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, sexual violence still remains prevalent and has become more serious over time. Most of the survivors only keep silent and do not seek any support. In the following two cases, one survivor successfully divorced her husband while the other did not. The second case is one of the sexual violence cases in CSAGA counselling hotline of domestic violence prevention.

Case 1

L graduated from the University in Economics and works for a government agency. Her husband is a doctor, the head of a faculty in a top university in Hanoi. He is very patriarchal and never helps with any housework. Every morning, L has to get up very early, cook breakfast for the children, and take them to school. She then returns home to cook breakfast for her husband. Her husband often watches porn films, even in front of the children. After seeing the films, he forces her to have sex and act out what is presented in these. He urges her to have sex everyday even though she does not want to. He has also abused many of the young female domestic workers who come to their home. Six of them have quit working in her household. She does not dare to share this with anyone as everyone believes that he is a successful and respectable man. Recently, L got divorced from him because of their different perspectives and lifestyles. In the court, when being asked about the career and status of the couple, the court officers requested them to adjust their behavior (CSAGA's facebook fanpage, https://www.facebook.com/YeuThuongVaTuDo).

Case 2

T is 32 years old, a farmer in Hoa Binh. Her husband is also a farmer aged 34. He often gets drunk, goes out with friends, and does not involve himself in any work for the family. Every time he is drunk, he beats her and throws her out of their home. Many times, he has threatened to kill her entire family, using a mine. He is often jealous and prohibits her from communicating with other men. All housework, including childcare and farming, is undertaken by her. He forces her to have sex everyday, even when she is sick or when she has her period. She has had three abortions as he refuses the use of contraceptives. Her husband has even forced her to have sex in front of their children and told them to observe. She called the police, the local authorities, the Women's Union, and her husband's family to report his abuse. He has since become less violent, but still explodes sometimes. She does not want to share her problem with anyone, as she is afraid her husband will lose face or kill her if she tells her stories to anyone.

These are only two cases among the thousands of women's experiences of sexual violence at the hands of their husbands, intimate partners, customers, or strangers. These women have not received any support from society. According to the National Study on Violence against Women in Vietnam in 2010, 10 percent of married women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime (General Statistic Office of Vietnam, 2010). A survey of 165 victims of domestic violence in the project areas of CSAGA indicated that 58.2 percent had experienced acts of sexual violence by their husbands (Nguyen & Pham, 2012)

Why do survivors of sexual violence keep silent?

Women in Vietnam tend to be more passive in sexual relationships, often becoming targets of sexual abuse within the family and in public spheres. Besides, valorizing of the virginity of women leads to a biased social environment and stigma against victims of sexual violence, who do not dare to share their stories. Many female workers are still under the control and exploitation of male employers and colleagues. They also have experienced sexual abuse at the hands of their husbands and intimate partners; many sex workers were raped by gangs or sexually exploited by customers, managers, or authorities. A majority of the survivors did not speak out, call for help or report the cases. This stems from the views and prejudices pertaining to sexuality in Vietnamese society, which is a private matter for individuals and comprises a behind-the-door matter for families. Sexual and reproductive health rights have not been recognized or positioned as a priority for government agenda or implementation.

What has CSAGA done to support survivors of sexual violence?

The Gender-based violence Victim Support Office of CSAGA that maintains a national hotline on domestic violence and the Facebook support page called "Love and Freedom" has assisted many GBV survivors nationwide. This office has supported over 500 GBV cases annually, including those of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse. All survivors were provided with psychological counseling, crisis management skills, and connected with comprehensive support services and referred to shelters for GBV survivors (3 cases in 2015), legal aid centers (5 cases in 2015), and employment opportunities (8 cases in 2014). The stories of sexual violence need to be kept confidential for the victims.

The model 'Self-help groups' for survivors of domestic violence, namely, "Sharing Together," was an initiative piloted prior to implementation in Hanoi and replicated in Hoa Binh, Ha Nam, Hung Yen, and Bac Ninh. In coordination with the local Women's Unions, the "Sharing Together" clubs organized many monthly meetings, each with about 20-25 members. In these clubs, members share their experience of violence; they are given information on gender equality, prevention of violence against women, women's human rights; and safety plans for escaping from violence are discussed.

After joining the clubs, women usually become empowered, more confident, and strong. Over the last three years, these clubs have supported about 5,000 survivors of domestic violence, in which about 50 percent of the survivors had experienced sexual violence within marriage. During group discussions, they also said they only talked to and sought support from their relatives, friends and the community in cases of physical and mental violence. Based on the stories of sexual violence shared in small groups in the club meetings, it can be said that the most effective way to identify and support survivors of sexual violence is through the hotline and self-help groups. Interventions and access to other support services, such as healthcare and legal aid are still limited.

The questions that CSAGA is raising in the process of supporting and working with GBV survivors include the following: How do we get victims to speak out about sexual violence? How do we identify and solve cases of sexual violence like other forms of violence? How do we empower survivors of sexual violence to voice their needs to the government and policy makers in order to create relevant programs to support them?

Using edutainment, communication, and policy advocacy to break the silence

To challenge social attitudes and build new belief and value systems for communities, the most effective way to reach the public is via the use of communications and media. In communications for behavioral change, Edutainment (EE) is a new approach popularly used to change social norms and practices around the world. EE is a combination of education and entertainment that conveys messages to break social prejudice and build progressive perspectives. This approach has been widely used by some well-known organizations like Breakthrough in India and Soul City in South Africa. It has been used to create many strong movements such as 'Ring the Bell" supported by the Secretary General of the United Nations and the former President of the US. For many years, CSAGA has used EE as its main strategy to address social issues of gender equality and prevention of domestic violence by using different forms of the arts and media, such as film making, documentary films, short videos, or exhibitions. We think that using edutainment is a relevant and effective approach to break the silence on sensitive issues like sexual violence.

For the first time on the theatre stage, under the instruction of professional artists of Youth Theatre, female survivors of domestic violence directly depicted their lives before the public. They were brave in telling their stories; sharing their experience of physical, psychological and sexual violence; and voicing the hurt and shame they had suffered. Besides, they also shared their wishes, dreams and ways forward for overcoming the ups and downs of their lives. The viewers saw many images, felt their feelings and listened to many touching stories of the 12 survivors of domestic violence, who were strong and brave enough to raise their voices and prompt others to do so in the same situation (Nguyen, 2013). The drama has been staged six times in the Youth Theatre, attracting 3000 viewers that included representatives of NGOs, UN and government agencies, their relatives, students from universities, journalists and media professionals. The extract of the drama film was screened on National Vietnam Television during several workshops and important events and via the mass media, seeking to target thousands of people. The strong message on how to overcome hardship and crisis by these survivors of domestic violence was conveyed impressively.

The integration of sexual violence with physical and psychological violence will not influence mass media and policy advocacy to break the silence and accept the reality of sexual violence. Therefore, it was necessary to work with survivors of sexual violence, via support and counseling, to empower them to be strong, brave and confident and thus share their own stories in the documentary film "Don't cry alone"(Nguyen, 2015). Some evidence about the situation of sexual violence, injury and the violation of human rights of women was depicted through simple stories and were full of the touching feelings of characters.

The message that the film wanted to convey to the public, policy makers, and law enforcement officers is that sexual violence exists in the Vietnamese society; it is a shameful violation of human rights; it goes against the processes of development, progressiveness and equality in society. Sexual violence is part of the imbalance of power between men and women. Hence, it is imperative to build an enabling environment, wherein sexual violence can be spoken about, recognized, and given priority in seeking solutions.

Sexual violence among sex workers has not been recognized and there is no concern to resolve the issue. Untold stories of their lives, experience of sexual violence and their ambitions and dreams were depicted in a new artform, that is, sand painting. Sex workers experience misery and violence due to the stigma and prejudice against prostitution. Many experience different types of violence, such as beating, gang rape or even death. Prostitution is not legal in Vietnam and so their basic rights need to be protected, such as protection from violence, torture, and sexual violence at the hands of their customers or managers. They too have dreams and desire to be loved and respected (CSAGA, 2015).

Contemporary drama, theatre, documentary films and sand painting on issues relating to sexual violence have become effective ways of communicating on social media and the mass media, to raise public awareness on sexual and reproductive health rights for women and children. These art works and media products have been used for many events, policy advocacy workshops to break the silence and elicit the interest of policy makers, request the government, UN agencies and other CSOs to make more effort to position sexual violence as a main priority in the National Program on Gender-Based Violence from 2016 to 2020.

The National Campaign: 16 days of activism against violence against women and girls

The National Joint Campaign,"You are not alone," will comprise of 16 days of activism celebrating the International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls on the theme of sexual violence in 2015. The campaign will call for action to end sexual violence against women and girls in Vietnam. This is the third year CSAGA leads in building initiatives and giving technical support to conduct the joint campaign nationwide in the coordination with UN agencies, government bodies and international and national CSOs.

Currently, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MOLISA) is building a National Programme on Gender-based Violence Prevention from 2016-2020 and a National Programme on Gender Equality, Phase Two from 2016-2020. CSAGA will initiatethe Gender-Based Violence Network, Domestic Violence Prevention Network (DOVIPNET), Gender Equality Network (GENCOMNET), and contribute to building and implementing these programs. In consultation with government and UN agencies, CSAGA is advocating for positioning sexual violence as a priority issue and address sexual violence among sex workers, trafficked persons and ethnic minority women. Currently, these two programs are in the drafting phase, expected to be completed in December 2015 for approval by the government. Edutainment has become the main strategy of the campaign in which we will use a wide range of arts and entertainment programs to raise awareness and seek public attention.

Lessons learned and recommendations

Survivors of sexual violence in Vietnam are receiving support via a counseling hotline and self-help groups. Other interventions, such as access to support services in the locality are not available, nor are resources invested in these by the government and CSOs. Edutainment is a relevant and effective approach to challenge social attitudes and social prejudice on sensitive and hard-to-talk about issues like sexual violence in Vietnam. New forms of edutainment like drama, documentary films, sand painting and exhibitions that show case the bravery of victims have helped to convey messages strongly and impressively to the public. These highlight the urgency and need to break the silence on sexual violence, call for concrete actions to prevent and end sexual violence against women and girls. Furthermore, it is necessary to build an enabling environment, without stigma, prejudice and discrimination for survivors and the community, to speak out on sexual violence. The quality of support services for GBV survivors needs to be improved by focusing on increasing access and availability of services. Besides, it is imperative to mobilize and enhance the obligations and responsibilities of duty bearers, such as the police, healthcare workers, and legal aid officers in gaining access to support services for vulnerable groups, including the survivors of sexual violence. Together with these measures, the justice system also needs to prevent and solve cases of sexual violence within the family, in the workplace, and in public places.

References

References

CSAGA. (2015). My dream [Short film]. Hanoi:CSAGA. Retrieved from https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=YTthzju2Omk

General Statistics Office of Vietnam. (2010). New study shows high prevalence of domestic violence in Vietnam [Joint media release]. Retrieved from http://www.gso.gov.vn/ default_en.aspx?tabid=487&ItemID=10693

Nguyen, V. A. (2013). Inviting myself to hope [Physical drama]. Hanoi: CSAGA. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPKmKOPRx78&feature=youtu.be

Nguyen, V. A. (2015). Don't cry alone [Documentary film]. Hanoi: CSAGA. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD5J5y8_XVI

Nguyen, V. A., & Pham, T. G. (2012). The situation of sexual violence and response strategy of victims of domestic violence among the clubs for victims of domestic violence in CSAGA. Hanoi: CSAGA, Domestic Violence Prevention Network in Vietnam (DOVIPNET).