SPEECH AT SIGNING CEREMONY “Say NO to violence against women” by Dr. Suzette Mitchell UNIFEM Vietnam Country Programme Manager

UNIFEM Vietnam is honored today to welcome The Vietnam Women’s Union as a crucial partner in ending violence against women. Through lending their support to the ‘the Say No to Violence campaign VWU is joining a global advocacy effort, urging individuals and organizations around the world to “raise their voices by lending their names” to promote the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence. The goal is to get hundreds of thousands, even a million people to add their names to a “virtual” book and demonstrate the growing demand for concerted action to end violence against women. Violence against women is o­ne of the most widespread human rights violations. For over two decades women have struggled to break through the shame and silence that surrounds this violence to put it o­n every national and global agenda, and last year, the General Assembly adopted a strong Resolution to intensify efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women (A/RES/61/143).

Statistics paint a horrifying picture of the social and health consequences of violence against women. Globally approximately 1 in 3 women will experience Violence in their life time. For women aged 15 to 44 years, violence is a major cause of death and disability. In a 1994 study based o­n World Bank data about ten selected risk factors facing women in this age group, rape and domestic violence rated higher than cancer, motor vehicle accidents, war and malaria. Women have fought for decades to break the silence and end impunity for violence against women. Today, ending violence against women is o­n the human rights agenda, the development agenda and the security agenda.

One particular area in which there is a demand for action to end violence against women is the links between violence and HIV/AIDS. Women’s inability to negotiate safe sex and refuse unwanted sex is closely linked to the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Unwanted sex from being unable to say no to a partner and be heard, to sexual assault such as rape — results in a higher risk of abrasion and bleeding, providing a ready avenue for transmission of the virus. In Vietnam rates of HIV infection are rising. .While estimates suggest that around 70,000 women (29,000 in urban areas and 38,000 in rural areas)

As enormous as the statistics may be it is incorrect to assume that the pandemic of violence against women is a problem without a solution. Campaigns such as Say No shows that Innovation, experience and activism are essential in ending violence against women.It is a pandemic that can be stopped, given the necessary political will and resources.

UNIFEM has consistently supported work to end violence. In 1996 we welcomed the establishment of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women by the General Assembly, as a system-wide funding mechanism to move this work forward (A/RES/50/166). Through it, Member States, civil society and UN partners have come together to invest in practical steps to end the violence that has fractured communities, devastated lives, and robbed the gifts and potential of millions of women and girls. Over the past ten years, the UN Trust Fund has supported a total of 263 initiatives in 119 countries to formulate laws and national plans to end violence against women, institutionalize measures to ensure their implementation and develop capacities of governments and civil society to monitor progress. The Say no campaign aims to build momentum o­n this through the highlighting of trust fund projects o­n the campaign website.

The Say No Campaign centers o­n building partnerships. This campaign encourages Global, regional and national solidarity to reach the target of 1 million signatures. UNIFEM is also partnering with UNFPA, and international organizations such as Spanish NGO Paz y Desarrollo (Peace and Development), and Action Aid, o­n a national communications campaign targeting men to promote the message that domestic violence is a crime. UNIFEM is delighted now to partner with the Women’s Union and is particularly excited that the Women’s Union has made their target 1 million signatures. UNIFEM’s partnership with VWU is an excellent example of agencies working together to promote gender equality and end VAW.