Many vulnerable populations in Vietnam, particularly women and children, do not have adequate access to justice and legal services for various types of civil and criminal cases. To address this challenge, on June 12-13, USAID’s Governance for Inclusive Growth Program organized a training program in Hanoi to improve the knowledge and skills of 50 legal counselors from various social organizations. The training program involved discussions and practice sessions on a variety of real case scenarios to help improve the skills of legal counselors serving vulnerable persons, particularly women and children in civil and criminal cases, including on legal issue identification, document analysis, evidence collection and documentation, legal writing, and advocacy skills. It also imparted counseling skills for working with children and women who are victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and other forms of violence.

So What? Improving sources of legal support and counseling for vulnerable groups, as well as strengthening the participation and role of non-state actors, strengthens the justice sector, increases access to justice, and promotes inclusive growth in Vietnam.