Democratic Voice of Vietnam

Vietnam, 1 February 2016 – Vietnamese Women for Human Rights (VNWHR) formally establishes an overseas representative office, in order to meet their networking and outreach needs with other regional and international civil society organizations (CSOs). In early 2016, Vietnamese Women for Human Rights officially became the first organization from inside Vietnam to gain membership into one of the largest and most important human rights networks in Asia, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, (FORUM-ASIA) and Asia Democracy Network. It presents both opportunities and also the challenges for VNWHR.

Ms. Huỳnh Thục Vy, VNWHR’s coordinator, in Vietnam shared her insights on this significant event: “This is an opportunity for our organization to deliver our voice to the outside world. Once independent CSOs in Vietnam gain acceptance in the region, this will open a bridge for CSOs in Vietnam rapidly and extensively integrating to ASEAN’s civil society community.”

However, VNWHR is facing many challenges and interference since its organization is not recognized by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

As a result, the establishment of an overseas representative office is essential to demonstrate the commitment and implementation of VNWHR’s participation in the international community.

Personnel Information of VNWHR Overseas Representative Office

• Overseas Representative Spokeswoman:
  • Nguyễn Khuê Tú (Vancouver, Canada), email: nguyenkhuetu22@gmail.com
• Overseas Coordinator and Community Liaison:
  • Đinh Ngọc Tuyết  (Kentucky, USA), email: tuyetdinh@yahoo.com;
  • Ellen Nguyễn (California, USA), email: ellennguyenca@gmail.com
• ASEAN/Asian Region Coordinator:
  • Kim Lê (Bangkok, Thailand), email: kimle.vnwhr@gmail.com

Overseas Representative Office’s Missions:

• Contact and advocate with all human rights organizations and international authorities.
• Represent VNWHR at all regional and international forums in essential situations.
• Assist VNWHR the material and skill development supports

About VNWHR

VNWHR is an independent, non-profit, non-political organization which acts to protect and promote human rights, especially women’s human rights, and protect the interests and promote roles of Vietnamese women in the society.

The Ultimate Goal: To fight for a Vietnam in which women will not be harassed and badly treated for seeking justice, in which women can freely criticize the government and play important roles in the country’s political life and society.

Main Target Communities: Those women badly treated by the government because of their activities for private land ownership and criticisms of the government; Women in dissident families and women prisoners of conscience; Women belonging to ethnic minorities who fight for religious freedom.

VNWHR’s main activities are to support materially and spiritually women who are mothers, wives, and children of dissidents and prisoners of conscience. Moreover, VNWHR gives a voice to and protects women whose dignity and basic rights such as the freedom of expression, freedom of religions and beliefs and freedom of assembly have been violated. Furthermore, VNWHR disseminates knowledge on human rights, especially to women who have no or little access to information.

For more information about VNWHR, please visit vnwhr.net
Contact by email: huynhthucvy@vnwhr.net