In a step the UN hailed as a milestone, Vietnam's assembly last week passed a domestic violence law, which stressed that physical and psychological violence in the home is a crime.
Victims of domestic violence under the law are entitled to consultation, health care and protection from local authorities and social organizations, while the perpetrators face criminal charges.
"The clear message of the law is that domestic violence is an illegal behavior and is not the private affair of each family," Truong Thi Mai, chairwoman of the Committee of Social Affairs, told the assembly.
The UN Population Fund's Vietnam chief Ian Howie told legislators the UN was ready to support implementation of the law with money and technical assistance.
Sociologists cautioned that change will not come overnight in the traditionally Confucian society.
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