In the morning of November 14, 2008, at the United Nations Development Fund for Women’s (UNIFEM) office in Hanoi, Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) handed books of about 600,000 signatures (1st stage) of staff, members, women and the people from over 40 provinces/cities nationwide responding UNIFEM’s campaign “Say NO to violence against women” to UNIFEM.

At this hand-over ceremony, UNIFEM’s representative congratulated and thanked VWU for its highly valuable contributions to the campaign and the great amount of signatures collected by VWU in this short time as well. on this occasion, UNIFEM also presented VWU flower basket, gift and greetings card.

UNIFEM is the world leading advocate for action to address gender-based violence. VWU in cooperation with United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) organized the signing ceremony “Say NO to Violence against Women” at Center for Women and Development, Hanoi in the morning of October 31, 2008.

UNIFEM’s greetings card to VWU - We are so very excited in the UNIFEM office and our Deputy Director from New York will thank you personally on Tuesday” (Dr. Suzette Mitchell – UNIFEM Director in Vietnam and all UNIFEM staff)   - “Ms. Hoa and Ms. Giang. We are very delighted because our campaign puts Vietnam on the top of the world. Congratulations to you and to UNIFEM” (April Pham – UNIFEM Gender Specialist in Hanoi)   - “Congratulations! What a successful partnership!” (Nisha Richard – UNIFEM Campaigns Officer in Hanoi)

VWU targeted to collect 1 million signatures from its staff, members and people in the whole country. Nearly 600,000 is the amount of signatures at the 1^st stage which VWU handed over to UNIFEM. The other number of signatures at the 2^nd stage will be transferred to UNIFEM on the coming 20^th November. All the signature lists will be presented by UNIFEM Vietnam to UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon in New York on the day of “Elimination of violence against women” of UN (November 25, 2008).

Ngoc Bich

• Signing ceremony “Say NO to Violence against Women” (Nov 11,2008)
• Women’s Union hands out awards (Dec 28,2007)
• Consultative Meeting to Ensure Incusion of Gender Equality in the Draft of the Law of the Elderly (Nov 27,2007)
• Women’s Union brings hope to poor families (Nov 02,2007)
• Delegation of Committee on Quality of Life and Status of Women From North West Provincial Legislature Has Working Visit with VWU (Oct 24,2007)
• Congress of “Unity, Creativity, Equality and Development” (Oct 09,2007)
• Vietnam Women’s Union welcomes new chairwoman as Congress ends (Oct 09,2007)
• Overseas Vietnamese supported the opening of Vietnam Women's Unions abroad at the Vietnam Women's Congress last week in Hanoi. (Oct 09,2007)
• Party leader Manh offers goals for Women’s Union (Oct 09,2007)
• Vietnam Women’s Union has new chairperson (Oct 09,2007)