The project “Human Trafficking Prevention for Women and Girls in Dien Bien province” is to empower local women and children, especially girls with capacity to protect themselves and their peers from all forms of violence and trafficking in persons in Dien Bien’s two districts with high rate of poor people of Muong Cha and Tuan Giao.

The project “Human Trafficking Prevention for Women and Girls in Dien Bien province” will be implemented in three years (from March 2020 to February 2023) in Muong Cha and Tuan Giao districts to empower women and girls to protect themselves and peers from the risks of human trafficking and violence, with a special focus on strengthening their economic status.

With the primary objective of increasing the self-protection of women and girls from risks of trafficking and violence, in the first year of implementation, 'The Human Trafficking Prevention for Women and Girl in Dien Bien Province' project has focused on building and developing self-reliant community platforms through the establishment and operation of 43 Women's Clubs in all villages of World Vision Vietnam's project communes in Tuan Giao and Muong Cha districts of the northwestern border province of Dien Bien.

Women's Club is an effective channel for communicating knowledge on trafficking and violence prevention, safe migration, and gender equality. It is also the foundation for the Saving for Transformation groups, which promote livelihood activities and improve income for ethnic minority women in the project area.

In its first year, the project has achieved meaningful results including 925 children participated directly in communication events; 225 children were equipped with knowledge and life skills on trafficking prevention; 120 children were part of initiatives to end human trafficking; 251 children joined children's clubs in schools.

Moreover, 19 communication workshops on gender equality were held where 180 women were equipped with knowledge and skills in agriculture, 115 women participated in savings groups every month.

Three job placement events also were organized for 195 women and one community cultural house was built.

Women's Club is an effective channel for communicating knowledge on trafficking and violence prevention, safe migration, and gender equality.

Entering its second year of implementation, 'The Human Trafficking Prevention for Women and Girl in Dien Bien Province' project continues to develop communication activities to raise awareness and enhance economic capacity for women through clubs. The project will also carry on using itinerant communication activities and home visits to bring the mentioned knowledge to women at risk of trafficking and violence, thereby expanding the protection network for women and girls to households located far away from the central area or isolated from the community.

The project is funded by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the framework of the Grant Assistance for Japanese Non-governmental Organization project.

With a total budget of more than USD 1.6 million, the project is expected to be implemented in three years (from March 2020 to February 2023) in Muong Cha and Tuan Giao districts to empower women and girls to protect themselves and their peers from the risks of human trafficking and violence, with a special focus on strengthening their economic status.

Human trafficking crimes via labour migration is still a pressing issue in Vietnam. The victims, mostly from vulnerable groups in the rural and mountainous areas, are trafficked for sex, labour and their body parts, among other reasons./.

Hannah Nguyen