Thua Thien Hue: Home visits to persons with disabilities who are at risk of gender-based violence

The activity aimed to provide counselling and support persons with disabilities who are at risk of gender-based violence, increase their understanding about family and social relationships, rights of persons with disabilities, organizations to guarantee their legal protection, and related policies including social welfare, medical care, occupational training and etc. 

Core members of the counseling team who are members of the Associations of persons with disabilities, have completed ToT training in gender-based violence prevention and peer counseling skills in supporting victims of gender-based violence organized by the project. Along with representatives from the Women’s Association, the Division of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs in districts and communes, the counseling team visited 20 persons with disabilities to understand their risks and meet their needs.

A parent of a person with disabilities shared: “My daughter is unfortunately suffered from intellectual disability. I only earn about 20.000 dongs per day while my husband has an unstable job. Our family mainly lives on the financial support from our elder daughter who is working in Ho Chi Minh city and a little from the social welfare. My daughter frequently stays at home but she often gets bullied when she comes out. Our family is thankful that the counseling team helps us understand about rights of persons with disabilities  and prevention of abuse. I hope that we will continually receive support from the project so that my daughter can be better protected”.  Through home visits, the counseling team identified specific cases, planned interventions for each cases including improving the knowledge of persons with disabilities and care givers about policies, rights, peer work and job search, livelihood development, etc. and also connect relevant parties to raise their awareness about gender-based violence and skills to protect persons with disabilities against gender-based violence.

The activity was within the project “Social Assitance and Independent Living” implemented by ACDC in Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces and funded by The United States Agency for International Development. It is expected that home visits will be continually organized to support persons with disabilities and promote prevention against gender-based violence in the local communities.