Impact of international legislative regulations on domestic violence against women in a developing country
Some practical reflections
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19184/jseahr.v10i1.53730Abstract
Domestic violence against women is a global concern, particularly in developing countries like Vietnam, where cultural, social, challenges hinder effective prevention and response. This study examined the current policy of domestic violence regulations for women in Vietnam in line with international standards. It identified loopholes that need to be overcome for better enforcement. The study employed a qualitative structural comparative research design to demonstrate, compare and analyze current legal normative documents in Vietnam together with international legislative instruments. The outcomes reveal significant challenges related to the inadequate legal definitions, lack of enforcement mechanisms, and the gender-insensitive nature of the current laws of Vietnam. Besides, cultural factors, such as deep-rooted patriarchal norms, further complicate the situation, which creates barriers for victims to seek justice. Furthermore, the results show that while Vietnam has made progress in ratifying the alignment of international legislative instruments, the actual adoption of these normative regulations in practice is still not very effective. Policymakers in Vietnam should narrow legal definitions, make laws more gender-inclusive, expand enforcement and judicial support policies, and allocate resources to provide support services for victims. Therefore, the critical role of international organizations in assisting Vietnam in policy reforms also requires local authorities to customize international frameworks into the national context. The research findings would contribute valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for enhancing Vietnam's legal system to better protect women from domestic violence, which in turn could serve as a roadmap for future legislative reforms.
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Framework, Gender Equality, Legislative Regulations, Patriarchal Norms
Downloads
References
Alfaro, Q Julio, Z Mustafa, X Zhang, B Zakhary, M Firek, R Coimbra & M Brenner, “A Nationwide Study of Intimate Partner Violence” (2020) 86:10 American Surgeon 1230–1237, https://doi.org/10.1177/0003134820964191
Alhabib, S, U Nur & R Jones, “Domestic Violence against Women: Systematic Review of Prevalence Studies” (2010) 25:4 Journal of Family Violence 369–382, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10896-009-9298-4
Anckar, Carsten, “The Most-Similar and Most-Different Systems Design in Comparative Policy Analysis” in B Guy Peters & Guillaume Fontaine (eds), Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Comparative Policy Analysis (Edward Elgar Publishing 2020) 33–48, https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788111195.00008
Artz, Sibylle, Margaret A Jackson, KR Rossiter, A Nijdam-Jones, I Géczy & S Porteous, “A Comprehensive Review of the Literature on the Impact of Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence for Children and Youth” (2014) 5:4 International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies 493–587, https://doi.org/10.18357/ijcyfs54201413274
Bender, Amy K, “Ethics, Methods, and Measures in Intimate Partner Violence Research: The Current State of the Field” (2017) 23:11 Violence Against Women 1382–1413, https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801216658977
Berry, Vivienne, “Ethical Considerations in Conducting Domestic Violence Research” (2009) 5:3 Research Ethics Review 91–100, https://doi.org/10.1177/174701610900500302
Bugeja, Lyndal, A Butler, E Buxton, H Ehrat, M Hayes, SJ McIntyre & C Walsh, “The Implementation of Domestic Violence Death Reviews in Australia” (2013) 17:4 Homicide Studies 353–374, https://doi.org/10.1177/1088767913494787
Cardenas, Ines, “Advancing Intersectionality Approaches in Intimate Partner Violence Research: A Social Justice Approach” (2023) 32:1 Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2020.1855494
Connors, Andrea D, JF Mills & AL Gray, “An Evaluation of Intimate Partner Violence Intervention with Incarcerated Offenders” (2012) 27:6 Journal of Interpersonal Violence 1176–1196, https://doi.org/10.1177/088626051142449
Council of Europe, “The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention)” (2014), online: <https://www.coe.int/en/web/gender-matters/council-of-europe-convention-on-preventing-and-combating-violence-against-women-and-domestic-violence>
Dang, Thi Hai, “Current Status of Factors Affecting Domestic Violence from Social and Cultural Perspectives” (2018) 3 Vietnam Women’s Academy Journal of Sciences 1–9, http://tapchikhoahoc.hvpnvn.edu.vn/sites/default/files/bai01_03_2018.pdf
Dawson, Myrna, Domestic Homicides and Death Reviews: An International Perspective (Palgrave Macmillan 2017), https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56276-0
Durante, Katherine A, Eman Tadros & Danielle C Slakoff, “Intimate Partner Violence and Partner Incarceration: Perceived and Experienced Challenges during Reentry” (2024) Crime & Delinquency, https://doi.org/10.1177/00111287241242477
Ferreira, Ana R & Ana Isabel Sani, “Domestic Violence and Custody Proceedings: An Analysis of Judicial Decisions in Portugal” (2024) Journal of Family Violence, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-024-00739-3
Flury, Marianne & Elisabeth Nyberg, “Domestic Violence against Women: Definitions, Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Consequences” (2010) 140 Swiss Medical Weekly w13099, https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2010.13099
Hayes, Becca E, “Abusive Men’s Indirect Control of Their Partner during the Process of Separation” (2012) 27:4 Journal of Family Violence 333–344, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-012-9428-2
Huecker, Michael R, KC King, GA Jordan & W Smock, “Domestic Violence” in StatPearls (StatPearls Publishing 2022), online: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29763066>
Humphreys, Cathy, S Heward-Belle, M Tsantefski, J Isobe & L Healey, “Beyond Co-Occurrence: Addressing the Intersections of Domestic Violence, Mental Health and Substance Misuse” (2022) 27:2 Child & Family Social Work 299–310, https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12885
Ignjatović, Tanja, “Violence against Women after Separation and Divorce of the Partners: Challenges in Assessments and Decisions on Protection Measures” (2019) 22:2 Temida 189–208, https://doi.org/10.2298/TEM1902189I
Kafka, Julia M, KE Moracco, C Barrington & AL Mortazavi, “Judging Domestic Violence from the Bench: A Narrative Analysis of Judicial Anecdotes about Domestic Violence Protective Order Cases” (2019) 29:8 Qualitative Health Research 1132–1144, https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732318821691
Kamody, Rebecca C, KH Howell, LE Schwartz, LM Schaefer & IB Thurston, “A Cross-Sectional Examination of Intimate Partner Violence and Mother-Child Communication” (2020) 29:5 Journal of Child and Family Studies 1363–1373, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01617-z
Koshan, Jennifer, “Preventive Justice? Domestic Violence Protection Orders and Their Intersections with Family and Other Laws and Legal Systems” (2023) 35:1 Canadian Journal of Family Law 241–296, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4372318
Laing, Lesley, “Secondary Victimization: Domestic Violence Survivors Navigating the Family Law System” (2016) 23:11 Violence Against Women 1314–1335, https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801216659942
Lutgendorf, Melissa A, “Intimate Partner Violence and Women’s Health” (2019) 134:3 Obstetrics and Gynecology 470–480, https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000003326
Macdonald, Geraldine S, “Domestic Violence and Private Family Court Proceedings” (2016) 22:7 Violence against Women 832–852, https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801215612600
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, “Decision No 1478/QĐ-BVHTTDL on Promulgating the Plan to Implement the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control and Decree No 76/2023/ND-CP Dated 1 November 2023 of the Government Detailing a Number of Articles of the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control” (2024), online: <https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/van-ban-quan-ly/121241.html>
Orr, Kelly, N Sheeran & H Douglas, “The Psychological Impact on Mothers Who Have Experienced Domestic Violence When Navigating the Family Court System: A Scoping Review” (2023) 31:4 Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 764–791, https://doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2023.2214927
Samuel, Geoffrey, “An Introduction to Comparative Law Theory and Method vol 11” (Hart Publishing 2014).
Salis, Kristen L, J Salwen & KD O’Leary, “The Predictive Utility of Psychological Aggression for Intimate Partner Violence” (2014) 5:1 Partner Abuse 83–97, https://doi.org/10.1891/1946-6560.5.1.83
Sani, Ana & Ana Isabel Lopes, “Police Intervention in Cases of Violence against Women and Their Exposed Children” in M Guggisberg & Henricksen (eds), Violence against Women: Global Perspectives, Challenges and Issues of 21st Century (Nova Science Publishers 2018) 211–235.
Skinnider, Erin, TT Le, VD Tran, TVA Le, VT Nguyen & XA Nguyen, “Access to Criminal Justice by Women Subjected to Violence in Vietnam: Women’s Justice Perception Study Research Report” (2017), <https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Field%20Office%20ESEAsia/Docs/Publications/2018/06/Research-Report-EN.pdf>
The Government of Vietnam, “Decree No 144/2021/ND-CP on Administrative Penalties for Violations against Regulations on Social Safety, Security, Order; Social Evils, Fire Prevention and Firefighting; Rescue; Domestic Violence Prevention and Control” (2021), online <https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2022/01/144.signed.pdf>
The National Assembly of Vietnam, “Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control No 13/2022/QH15” (2022), online: <https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2023/4/luat13.pdf>
The National Assembly of Vietnam, “Law on marriage and family”, (2014), online <https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2014/08/52_honnhan_gd.signed.pdf>.
The National Assembly of Vietnam, “Civil Code,” (2015, amended 2017), online: <https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2016/01/91.signed.pdf>
The National Assembly of Vietnam. (2015, amended 2017), “Criminal Code,” online: <https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2016/01/100.signed_01.pdf>
The National Assembly of Vietnam (NA), “Introducing the apparatus of National Assembly,” online: <https://quochoi.vn/Pages/default.aspx>.
The UN Women (CEDAW), “The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women,” (n.d.), online: <https://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/cedaw>.
The UN Women, “The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women,” (2013), online: <https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2013/07/un-women-the-united-nations-entity-for-gender-equality-and-the-empowerment-of-women/>.
Tonsing, Jerf WK, “Domestic Violence: Intersection of Culture, Gender and Context” (2016) 18:2 Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 442–446, https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038584
United Nations, “Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women: Proceedings of the 85th Plenary Meeting, United Nations General Assembly, Geneva, 20 December 1993”, online: <https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/eliminationvaw.pdf>
UNDP Europe and Central Asia, “Violence against Women and Girls: Read the Signals, Engage and Take Action to Prevent” (2023), online: <https://www.undp.org/eurasia/blog/violence-against-women-and-girls-read-signals-engage-and-take-action-prevent>
Vass, Ayala & Judith Krane, “Religious, Practical and Future-Oriented Coping Strategies to End Intimate Partner Violence: An In-Depth Examination of Ultraorthodox Israeli Women’s Narratives” (2024) Journal of Family Violence, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-024-00737-5
Walker, Lenore EA, “Nonjudicial Influence on Family Violence Court Cases” (2020) 64:12 American Behavioral Scientist 1749–1767, https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764220956688
Wiegers, Wendy, “The Intersection of Child Protection and Family Law Systems in Cases of Domestic Violence” (2023) 35:1 Canadian Journal of Family Law 183–239, https://commons.allard.ubc.ca/can-j-fam-l/vol35/iss1/6/
World Health Organization, “Violence against Women” (25 March 2024), online: <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women>
Yakubovich, Andre R, H Stockl, J Murray, GJ Melendez-Torres, JI Steinert, CEY Glavin & DK Humphreys, “Risk and Protective Factors for Intimate Partner Violence against Women: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Prospective-Longitudinal Studies” (2018) 108:7 American Journal of Public Health e1–e11, https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304428
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Oanh Thi Cao, Tuan Vu Van
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
