Hanoi (VNA) - It is necessary to strengthen the legal and gender education for women and children, while organising training courses for officials taking charge of gender issues to prevent child abuse, heard a conference held by the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Central Committee in Hanoi on August 24.

VWU Vice President Ton Ngoc Hanh said that in order to protect women and children, in recent years, the union has set up networks and consultation teams to support the settlement of cases and issues related to women and children, while working closely with relevant authorised agencies in the field.

Currently, 60 out of 63 localities nationwide have signed coordination programmes with procuration agencies in the localities to protect the legitimate rights and interests of women and children.

In the 2018-2021 period, authorised agencies raise voice for 108 cases in different ways to protect children and women in line with law.

According to Senior Colonel Khong Ngoc Oanh from the Criminal Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, most cases of violence against women and children are carried out by relatives and people responsible for managing and nurturing them in a narrow and closed environment, making it difficult to detect as well as apply preventive measures. Most women and children are left unprotected in their own homes, he stressed.

He held that it is necessary to enhance the capacity for social workers, and support the police force at grassroot level to deal with such criminals.

Participants also pointed out the need to multiply effective models in woman and child protection with the stronger engagement of women./.