The year 2021 – year of the Ox has been a dynamic and active one at VOGE. On 27 May 2021, we celebrated VOGE’s 5th birthday, along with the landmark of 100.000+ likes and followers on our Facebook fanpage. In 2021 alone, our fanpage has obtained over 43 thousand new likes and 45 thousand new followers.
VOGE would like to send our deepest gratitude to all individuals and organizations that have taken interests in gender equality, have put your trust in VOGE and followed our activities.
Below we present you VOGE’s most noteworthy activities in the Year of the Buffalo.
MAY 2021: “ROUNDTABLE 6/9” PROJECT
Having been planned and kickstarted from May 2021 by VOGE and Sexn’Smoking ecosystem, “Roundtable 6/9” project is a series of videos on the topic of gender, love and sexuality. The project has 3 main goals: Reach out — Discuss — Educate, bringing reliable information and viewpoints on safe, consensual sex and equal relationships.
With the motto “6 could also be 9”, the video series emphasizes on respect during discussions so that all participants and viewers feel comfortable sharing ones’ opinions.
Two episodes have been uploaded on the official Youtube channel of the project, entitled “Playlist69 Official“, VOGE’s Facebook fanpage and Instagram accounts of Sexn’Smoking ecosystem. On Youtube, episode 1 on “Sexy women invites harassment?” reached 3,1 thousand views, 148 likes and 12 public comments. While episode 2 on “Gen Z and parents talk about sex” reached 2 thousand views, 61 likes and 6 public comments.
This project receives media sponsorship from iSEE and partial financial sponsorship from Sagami Vietnam.
AUGUST 2021: “HEALTHY STRAWBERRY” – SUPPORT FUND FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN IN COVID PANDEMIC
Late July 2021, when newspapers reported that “tampons and diapers are not considered essential goods”, VOGE team recognized that was a result of gender insensitivity and irresponsiveness of public policies, a proof that gender inequality remained prominent among the many.
To push for a more gender sensitive and responsive Covid policy, to strive against the marginalization of women’s needs and interests, VOGE team initiated a crowdfunding program called “Healthy Strawberry.”
The Strawberry fund was a collaborative effort of VOGE, An egg a day and SCDI (Center for Supporting Community Development Initiatives). VOGE officially called for community donations from August 31st 2021. Mid-October 2021, CSDS (Center for Sustainable Development Studies) supported the Strawberry fund with 24 million Vietnam đồng.
In total, the Strawberry fund received 77 million 668 thousand Vietnam đồng from individuals and organizations. The Strawberry fund used all such money to acquire essential goods for women and children such as tampons, diapers, milk, soap… – called “the Strawberry support package.” The Strawberry packages had been received by 312 families in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city, among which there were 156 women and 156 children.
Aside from support packages, the Strawberry fund’s media presence also raised public awareness on gender sensitive and responsive public policies, development programs.
ASSISTING SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL- AND CYBER-VIOLENCE
In 2021, VOGE assisted 03 main cases relating to sexual harassment and violence online, in addition to other smaller cases. These 03 cases were all brought to VOGE’s knowledge via our Facebook page by the survivors themselves or the survivors’ friends, relatives.
After receiving and processing relevant information, VOGE team arranged meetings with the survivors in order to clarify the facts, give mental support, advise possible solutions and discuss the survivors’ wishes.
In April 2021, VOGE advised and assisted a case involving 20 female students in Hanoi being sexually harassed online. Beside helping the students report to the school and the authorities, VOGE also reported about the case to raise awareness on online sexual harassment. Facing public opinions and anger, the attackers stopped; however, after public discussions subsided, they returned in August 2021. Then, VOGE continued reporting new developments to the public and urged authorities to participate in solving the case.
In August and December 2021, VOGE continued assisting another 02 similar cases. We want to stress that there had been many other cases brought to our attention, and these 03 cases were only a few on which we publicly reported. With the alarming reality of sexual harassment and violence, we hope all branches of the authority will soon enforce more effective, thorough and timely resolutions; hope that all of us will contribute our parts in solving this issue.
DECEMBER 2021: ACCOMPANY STUDENTS’ PETITION AGAINST DISCRIMINATORY SCHOOL UNIFORMS
November 2021, students and the community spoke up against the discriminatory uniform regulation of Highschool X (district 1, Ho Chi Minh city). According to the new regulation, female students would have to acquire 4 types of uniform and wear those in compliance with the school’s given schedule. Early December, two former students of Highschool X called for a petition that gathered opinions of current students and parents, former students and the community – with the goal to create collective voices and send them to the school’s Principle along with relevant authorities.
After being contacted by the petition team, VOGE wrote and posted an article in solidarity with all students of Highschool X – bringing their voices and opinions to a wider community, to relevant authorities; demanding the school’s Principle revise the regulation; drawing attention and further discussions on gender inequality harboring in all highschools’ current uniform regulations.
On December 09 2021, the school officially changed the regulation and the petition team ended the petition process. However, the petition team emphasized that this was only the beginning and the future path required much more collective efforts to build true equality and justice in highschools’ uniform regulations.
MOST NOTEWORTHY MEDIA PRODUCTS
In 2021, VOGE had in total 220 media products to advocate gender equality and support survivors of violence – this number doubles that of 2020 (112 products).
The most noteworthy media products include:
- 7 FACTS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT: with the highest number of reach and interaction (817.674 reaches and 34.716 interactions). This media product aims to debunk myths and erroneous attitudes towards sexual assaults.
- HARASSING MEN IS… CUTE? The article was written after a TikTok video went viral – a woman on a car kept following a man jogging on the side of the street, while being excited and widly expressing her desires. This media product comes second, with 632.140 reaches and 33.206 interactions. It offers a new perspective on sexual harassment faced by men.
- SERIES REPORTING ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF 20 FEMALE STUDENTS: called for support and solidarity with 20 female students of Highschool X (Hanoi) who had been sexually harassed over months. The series had drawn massive attention from the community, with 700.000 reaches and 40.000 interactions. These numbers showed the scale of public discussion on the topic, as well as more intense opinions and reactions displayed in the recap article 3 months later – with 384.278 and 23.853 interactions.
WITH THE PRESENCE OF VOGE MEMBERS
Beside media operations and supporting survivors of sexual-/gender-based violence, VOGE members also participated in specialized events, conferences and discussions with other gender equality organizations and social services teams, such as:
- TEDWomen week hosted by TEDxUAH (University of Architecture, Ho Chi Minh city) with the participation of VOGE’s advisor as guest speaker;
- A course about gender and the media hosted by School of Activism with the participation of VOGE’s advisor as guest speaker;
- A music contest hosted by Batik International with the participation of VOGE’s member – Mr. T. V. Quân – as guest judge;
- A talkshow hosted by GEAI Show on gender inequality in the labor market with the participation of VOGE’s member – Mr. T. V. Quân – as guest speaker;
- Newspapers that interviewed and quoted VOGE members:
- Friedrich Naumann Stiftung Asia on the implementation of the new clause on sexual harassment mentioned in the Labor Law;
- Globe Media Asia on encouragements that women receive to marry before 30 and give birth to two children by 35;
- VOV Giao Thông on the sexual harassment case of 20 female students at highschool X.
- Talkshow “Bóc hành không cay mắt” number 2 (hosted by Genderation Vietnam) with the participation of VOGE’s advisor as guest speaker;
- Other specialized conferences and studies.
NEW YEAR, CONTINUE FOR GENDER EQUALITY
Coming into Year of the Tiger 2022, VOGE hope dearly that we will continue committing to gender equality and will not stop until we finished building a true and sustainable result. Our team hopes that VOGE will continue to be a safe and useful place where everyone can learn more about gender equality, can ask questions, listen and be listened to, can discuss and have friendly debates.
Stay tuned for more of VOGE’s activities and events in 2022!