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| Ho Hoang Dung, head of the commune’s Culture and Social Affairs Office at the meeting on prevention of child marriage __Photo: dantocphattrien.vietnamnet.vn |
Child marriage cases in Phuoc Thanh commune, Da Nang city, fell from 20 in 2024 to just five in the first nine months of 2026. Local authorities are working to change attitude among the Gie Trieng ethnic minority communities, aiming to prevent any new cases by the end of the year.
Raising awareness of the marriage and family law
In mid-October 2026, the Phuoc Thanh Commune People’s Committee, in coordination with the Da Nang Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, held three awareness-raising meetings on reducing child marriage and marriage between close relatives in Phuoc Long, Phuoc Loc and Phuoc Kim villages, attracting nearly 400 Gie Trieng residents.
At the communal house in Phuoc Kim village, residents listened attentively as speakers explained the marriage and family laws and highlighted consequences of marrying and giving birth at an early age. Informative materials and leaflets were also distributed to residents to help them better understand and prevent child marriage in their own communities.
Ho Thi Moi, 28, said the meeting had helped residents better understand the risks associated with early marriage and childbirth, enabling them to guide and educate their children more effectively.
Alongside parents, local authorities are focusing on equipping adolescents with knowledge of marriage, family life and reproductive health. Beyond community-based awareness-raising meetings, students are learning about these issues through extracurricular activities and school-based legal knowledge competitions.
Truong Thanh Phuong, an official from the Policy Division of the Da Nang Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, said the meetings aimed to improve legal awareness among residents, particularly parents and young people, helping them recognise the causes and consequences of child marriage and take proactive steps to prevent it.
By combining community outreach with school-based education, local authorities hope to encourage families to prioritise their children’s education and equip them with the knowledge needed before entering married life.
Working towards ending child marriage
Phuoc Kim village is home to a large Gie Trieng population, with approximately 125 households and 500 residents. Village chief Tran Van Ly said child marriage had previously occurred sporadically, partly because some young people lacked awareness of its consequences. However, no cases of child marriage or marriage between close relatives have been recorded in the village since the beginning of 2026.
To maintain this progress, child marriage prevention has been regularly discussed at community meetings, while parents are encouraged to support their children’s education.
“The village also works closely with local authorities to encourage residents to take an active role in preventing child marriage,” Ly said.
According to local reports, Phuoc Thanh recorded 20 cases of child marriage in 2024, falling to 11 in 2025 and just five in the first nine months of 2026. Notably, no marriages between close relatives have been reported in the commune over the past three years.
Ho Hoang Dung, head of the commune’s Culture and Social Affairs Office, said that despite the decline, the risk of child marriage remained. Economic hardship and high poverty rates continued to affect some households, while awareness of the marriage and family law and adolescent reproductive health remained limited.
Some adolescents’ exposure to inappropriate social media content without parental guidance could encourage imitation and lead to harmful consequences.
In response, Phuoc Thanh is mobilising the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, the Youth Union, the Women’s Union, village elders, village chiefs and respected community members to raise awareness of and prevent child marriage. It is also strengthening monitoring and early intervention to identify and prevent potential cases of child marriage.
Cooperation among families, schools and villages is being intensified through commitments to prevent child marriage and marriage between close relatives. These efforts are also being integrated into programmes on poverty reduction, educational improvement and gender equality.
Dung said the commune would continue to improve its awareness-raising messages and methods, with particular attention to parents of adolescents and pupils.
Phuoc Thanh aims to record no new cases of child marriage by the end of 2026, gradually eliminating the practice from Gie Trieng community, Dung added.- (VLLF)
