IOM Viet Nam, in partnership with three Vietnamese NGOs –
CSAGA, CEFACOM and LIGHT and with the support of the European
Union, has helped Vietnamese migrant women affected by violence to
speak out through an exhibition at the Hanoi National Library.

The two-day "Contours" exhibition documented the experiences of
20 migrant women affected by violence and attracted over 300
visitors from government, international organizations, NGOs and the
general public.

The exhibition, which was part of a larger IOM project promoting
a rights-based approach to empowering migrant women affected by
violence, highlighted the need to combat violence and provide
protection, while emphasizing the important role of migrant women
in Viet Nam's development.

The "Contours" title was drawn from the works of a Vietnamese
writer, Doan Minh Phuong, who said: "If I draw a picture of me, the
first thing I have to draw is the outline or contour of my body.
The contour is the clear-cut line between the outside world and my
inner, private world. Inside the contour is my true
inner-self."

The quotation alludes to the difficulty that abused migrant
women in Viet Nam experience in speaking out and having their
voices heard. 

IOM, which launched the empowerment project with the support of
the government and NGO partners in January 2008, sees the
psycho-social support that it provides as an important factor in
helping them to achieve this.

"The project has now successfully reached 102 women in Hanoi
through a peer-driven approach and has established 11 self-help
groups. As it has progressed, they have they have become
increasingly confident to share their experiences and raise public
awareness of this issue," says IOM Viet Nam Chief of Mission Andy
Bruce.

For more information, please contact:

Andy Bruce

IOM Hanoi

Tel: +84.4. 736 6258. Ext. 106

E-mail: "mailto:abruce@iom.int">abruce@iom.int