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The #MeToo movement never took off in Vietnam, a country where gender-based violence is widespread but remains a taboo topic. Citizens took to social media this week after a man was fined VND200,000, or more than $8, for forcibly kissing a woman in an elevator in her Hanoi apartment building. CCTV footage showed the man chatting to the woman before cornering her and suddenly jumping on her before she scrambles out of the elevator as he grabbed her arm. The footage quickly went viral, stoking public anger. "The fine... was a mockery and humiliation against the dignity of Vietnamese women," said Facebook user Duong Dai Trieu Lam on Wednesday. Office worker Nguyen Trang told AFP: "It's ridiculous, I can't accept this... I'm worried for my kids and myself." Unlike rape, sexual assault is not a criminal offence in Vietnam, but is considered an administrative violation falling under the category of "indecent speech and behaviour." The maximum fine for sexual assault is $13. An online … [Read more...] about Outrage in Vietnam over $8 fine for elevator sexual assault

While get-thin-quick drugs may deliver on their promise, they also deliver plenty of risks A number of women in Vietnam looking to shed a few pounds are finding that claims made by several over-the-counter weight loss drugs marketed on social media aren’t holding much weight. A user in Hanoi, identified as H., said she was able to shed eight kilograms after following a plan given to her by a local cosmetic surgery center which asked her to take 18 generic pills a day for three months. She may have lost the weight, but not without twelve weeks of diarrhea, constant lethargy, high blood pressure, diminished possession of her senses, and forgetfulness. When questioned about the absence of labeling on the packing, the center claimed the choice to include pertinent information was an exclusive right enjoyed by their Thai manufacturer. Another woman, known as C., in Ho Chi Minh City, experienced abnormal body temperature variation, copious sweating, headaches, and nausea while … [Read more...] about ​​Vietnamese women consume dubious weight loss pills

Instead of suing the culprits, denouncing abusers to agencies, or seeking support from the community, victims of school physical abuse tend to conceal the cases and keep everything secret. Many student abuse cases have been reported in recent months. However, experts believe that the reported cases are just the ‘tip of the iceberg’, while many other cases have never been brought to light, and the abusers have not been punished. Secondary school students  A high school teacher in Hanoi commented that parents hide information and are uncooperative with the police. A niece of a teacher was the victim of a lewd act by a neighbor when she was 9 years old. The father of the girl vowed to denounce the neighbor of committing lewd act. However, he later gave up the intention after his wife warned that the girl would not have a bright future and she may be ‘left on the shelf’ because men will refuse abused girls. “Parents are afraid of their reputation, … [Read more...] about Many school physical abuse cases never brought to light

The 20-member team will be led by Thi Thi Tuyet Nhung, head of the Division of Culture and Society under the HCMC People’s Council, which acts as the municipal legislature. The team is being established following several cases of sexual assault against children that have recently come to light wherein it has been said that there was insufficient evidence to treat the actions as crime and perpetrators as criminals to be prosecuted, said Nhung. "There are cases reported by local media... but when investigations happen, the evidence found is too weak," Nhung said. Phan Nguyen Nhu Khue, a HCMC National Assembly delegate, said recent cases of children being physically and sexually abused were "alarming," and showed that Vietnam’s legal system still has too many loopholes. Last week, an elevator camera at an apartment building in the city's District 4 caught a man molesting a young girl, wrapping his arms around her neck and kissing her. He said that he was merely petting her … [Read more...] about HCMC task force to monitor child abuse fight

A child gets vaccinated at a centre in HCM City (Photo: VNA)   HCM City (VNA) - A combination of various public health and preventive medicine specialties should be paid attention to at the domestic and international levels to protect people’s health amid emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases globally, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son told a recent conference at the Pasteur Institute in HCM City. Problems in one country could affect other countries easier than in the past since pathogens and vectors now move further and faster than ever before through the global transportation network, he pointed out. The incidence of non-communicable diseases too has increased, including in Vietnam where they cause 70 percent of deaths, he said. “So the health sector in the country has expanded co-operation with other countries and adopted global scientific advances for the prevention and treatment of diseases.” The Government has invested in … [Read more...] about Domestic, global focus needed to address public health issues