HÀ NỘI — Thousands of youth on Sunday morning joined an event called “Zumba Festival: Love’s steps” at Thống Nhất Park in Hà Nội to encourage women, girls and community members to speak out against violence against women and girls.
The initiative was launched by the Centre for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender, Family, Women and Adolescents (CSAGA), which is designing programming for the 16 International Days of the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls.
This event was organised by CSAGA with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Koica, Irish Aid, the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union of Hà Nội and the Department of Gender Equality under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.
At the event, singer Duy Khoa, ambassador of the campaign, called for the community, especially boys and men, to speak out when they witness violence against women and to stop every violent action against women and girls.
Nguyễn Vân Anh, director of the CSAGA, said “The body freedom will encourage the spirit freedom. We want to create a happy atmosphere besides real actions to support victims of gender violence. After a lot of discussion, we decided to choose zumba dance for the event.”
“I hope that the dance will spread a peaceful atmosphere, free our hopes and push back against violence as well as provide solace for sad stories,” she said.
Astrid Bant, UNFPA representative in Việt Nam, said that everybody has the right to live without experiencing violence. But violence against women and girls remains a serious problem all over the world.
Dancing together can raise awareness of the issue to help stop violence against women and girls in Việt Nam, she said.
Trịnh Xuân Thủy, a youth, said that young people are joining hands to spread messages about gender equality and put an end to violence against women and girls. — LV
