Acceptance facilitates domestic violence

Not only do some Vietnamese women experience domestic violence at a physical level, but also on a psychological level as well. Experts believe that domestic violence against women still exists because of women's inherent acceptance of it. So why do women continue to accept the cruelty inflicted upon them?

Many citizens of Vinh Hai Ward of the south central coastal province of Khanh Hoa still have not forgotten a disturbing incident that happened just half a year ago. A lady was hospitalised after her husband assaulted her and caused a brain injury. The incident alerted the local community to the severity of domestic violence.

“Domestic violence occurred throughout her marriage. It finally reached its boiling point when he came home drunk one day and hit her until her brain was injured”, said Vu Thi Thu Hang, Chairwoman of Vinh Hai Women's Association, Khanh Hoa Province.

Between 2008 and 2015, Vietnam recorded a total of 250,000 domestic violence cases. Noteably, most of the victims were female. This reflects the strong presence of domestic violence in the lives of many Vietnamese families. These cases are hard to detect because the violence is hidden under the guise of a happy family.

“Asian women still follow the traditional mindset of being inferior to men. Many mistakenly believe that it is a wife's duty to tolerate such treatment from their husband”, said Huynh Thi Ai Thy, Director of Phu Yen Centre for Social Affairs.

Meanwhile, other witnesses of domestic violence often do not report it due to the belief that it is another family's affair. Moreover, there are still loopholes in the available legislative protection for women. The big question now is: will the next generation of women continue to accept domestic violence if they keep witnessing such acceptance?