Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
INTERVIEW UNICEF teams up with Korea to tackle gender-based violence
Bo Viktor Nylund, right, deputy director of UNICEF's Eastern and Southern Africa regional office, gives advice to teenagers about self-protection against violence and abuse in the community in Chimanimani, eastern Zimbabwe, March 27. Courtesy of UNICEF
By Kim Hyun-bin
By Kim Hyun-bin
The Korean government has shown interest in and support for collaborating with UNICEF in recent years to better tackle gender-based violence (GBV) issues worldwide. However, an official of the U.N. agency wishes for more support from Asia's fourth-largest economy.
“We have an ongoing collaboration and partnership (with the Korean government) and obviously we would like to see that grow. It has been growing so we are pleased at the direction it has been taking,” Bo Viktor Nylund, deputy regional director of UNICEF's Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, said during an interview with The Korea Times at the organization's Seoul office, Monday.
Bo Viktor Nylund
Nylund was in Seoul to attend the two-day International Conference on Action with Women and Peace, hosted by Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to the World Health Organization, one in three women in the world suffer violence and abuse in their lifetime. Nylund says the grimmest violations occur in war and natural disaster zones. In 2018, UNICEF reached out to more than 1.3 million women and girls and boys who suffered GBV.
In late 2018 to early 2019, the Korean government partnered with UNICEF and invested $1 million to respond to and prevent GBV in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.
“The funds were used to support more than 6,500 women in GBV response and prevention including psychosocial support, case management, counseling service and medical support,” he said.
Overall, Korea has been one of the leading donors to UNICEF, ranking 11th among governments with $44.5 million and third among individuals and corporate donors, totaling $115 million in 2018.
One of UNICEF's roles is to respond to and prevent GBV, but also to create awareness of the program in developing countries, as it is less common for women to speak out there.
“In many of these environments, it's a taboo ― (GBV) is not something that she can just go discuss with anyone and do anything about, just keep it to herself. The responses in the program are exactly those services she should seek, so be it psychosocial support, healthcare complication that could have followed or other services, she will be needing in order to (recover),” Nylund said.
UNICEF's endless efforts in the region have gained awareness and produced positive results.
According to UNICEF research conducted in 2018, there has been a 22 percent reduction in the belief that women and girls in Somalia and South Sudan should avoid reporting rape in order to protect their “family honor,” and a 14 percent reduction in the belief that it is appropriate for a husband to “discipline” his wife using violence.
The evaluation also showed greater increase in confidence of communities where UNICEF's GBV services are available.
UNICEF is one of the leading international organizations in humanitarian interventions across different sectors including education, nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene as well as protection of women and children.