Enhancing the role and status of girls

“Girls deserve to be loved and protected”

Luong Thi Phuong Trang is currently a 9th grade student at Que Phong Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities. The female student is of the Kho Mu ethnic group and grew up in Tri Le commune. She is also one of the school's outstanding students, having been an excellent student for many consecutive years and achieved many high academic achievements.

Trang’s situation is difficult as her family is poor, after her there are two younger siblings, one of whom is a newborn. To be able to attend boarding school, Luong Thi Phuong Trang had to make a lot of efforts, struggle and overcome her circumstances…

“Enhancing the role and status of girls to reduce gender imbalance at birth” is the theme of the International Day of the Girl Child 2022. Photo: MH

Trang is also a female student representing tens of thousands of female students in the province to speak at the media ceremony on the occasion of International Day of the Girl Child recently held in Que Phong district.

Standing in front of the hall, Trang shared her story and spoke out about the still distorted views on the issue of "male preference and female contempt" today: "Since ancient times, girls have suffered many disadvantages. Nowadays, although society has paid more attention to specific policies for girls, there are still prejudices and discrimination between men and women, violence, gender inequality... whose victims are the present and future of girls. I personally hope that in order for girls to develop equally, to study and work, we need to pay attention to issues of discrimination and violence against women and children. Everyone wants girls around the world to receive better education and protection, to be treated equally and to have a bright and happy future."

This year's International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated with the theme "Enhancing the role and status of girls to reduce gender imbalance at birth" to change awareness and promote concern for girls in the community. In response to this holiday, the Department of Health - Department of Population - Family Planning of the province organized a communication program in Que Phong district and brought a meaningful message that "Girls deserve to be loved and protected".

Regarding this, Mr. Nguyen Ba Tan - Head of the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning said: From 2022, the United Nations General Assembly has declared that October 11 every year will be celebrated as the International Day of the Girl Child to create more opportunities for girls and raise awareness of gender inequality including in the fields of education, nutrition, health, protection from discrimination, violence and no more child marriage. This is also a problem that has existed for many years in Vietnam, including Nghe An province.

Therefore, the International Day of the Girl Child is held every year to create opportunities for girls to fight, rise up and raise awareness. At the same time, this is the time for the whole world to pay attention to the issues of discrimination and violence against women and children. Everyone wants girls around the world to receive better education, protection, equal treatment and a brighter, happier future. Through this communication program, we also hope to contribute to raising awareness, encouraging and motivating people to implement population policies well, contributing to promoting gender equality.

"Ring the Golden Bell" contest to learn about reproductive health. Photo: Duc Anh

To implement the International Day of the Girl Child, this year the Department of Health has issued a Plan to organize communication activities on mass media channels at all levels and direct communication channels at the grassroots level; organize conferences, seminars, exchanges, discussions...

In particular, the contents focus on disseminating and propagating documents, guidelines, policies and laws of the Party and State such as: Law on Gender Equality; Law on Prevention and Control of Domestic Violence; Law on Marriage and Family; propagating legal provisions on prohibiting gender selection of fetuses.

Limiting gender imbalance at birth

One of the important issues mentioned on the International Day of the Girl Child is the issue of gender imbalance at birth. This is also a reality that has been happening for many years in Vietnam, including Nghe An.

Currently, to eliminate gender imbalance at birth, the normal biological birth rate is only 105 - 107 boys/100 girls. However, in Vietnam, if the 1999 population and housing census showed that the sex ratio at birth was 107 boys/100 girls, this ratio is still fluctuating around 112.2 boys/100 girls. Gender imbalance at birth tends to continue to increase and spread to rural, urban areas and all regions. In Nghe An, the sex ratio at birth increased from 111 boys/100 girls (in 2009) to 114 boys/100 girls (in 2019). By the end of December 2021, the gender imbalance at birth in Nghe An was alarming with a ratio of 116.78 boys/100 girls.

Students of Que Phong district respond to International Day of the Girl Child. Photo: MH

About the problemgender imbalance at birthThere are many reasons, among which the underlying cause is that families want to have sons due to social and religious beliefs that require sons to take on the responsibility of ancestor worship and continuing the family line. What is worrying is that although society has developed, these beliefs are deeply ingrained in the subconscious of each individual, couple, family and clan. Currently, the abuse of scientific and technological advances that help identify the gender of the fetus early and the legal regulations prohibiting the selection of the gender of the fetus are not strictly implemented... Therefore, solving the gender imbalance at birth in Vietnam still faces many difficulties.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ba Tan - Head of the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning, the gender imbalance at birth will negatively affect the population structure of Vietnam in the future, leading to a surplus of men in society. Even if there are no timely interventions, it is predicted that by 2050 Vietnam will lack from 2.3 to 4.3 million women.

If the gender imbalance at birth is not controlled soon, it can cause serious consequences for the country's economic and social development and affect the lives of women, men, families and communities. At the same time, it will cause long-term social and demographic consequences such as increasing pressure on girls to marry early, increasing prostitution, HIV/AIDS, trafficking in women, children and other forms of domestic violence against women and girls, increasing gender inequality, divorce, social instability, overall health decline, reproductive health...

Leaders of the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning presented gifts to students in Que Phong district. Photo: My Ha

In recent times, in order to contribute to raising social awareness of gender equality, the Population sector has invested heavily in communication work. That is the implementation of a series of reproductive health projects with many activities such as: "Ring the Golden Bell to learn about reproductive health knowledge" contest, giving gifts to girls in difficult circumstances who have achieved high academic achievements; Organizing communication activities in response to the International Day of the Girl Child (October 11) every year.

The sector has also organized hundreds of communication sessions on adolescent reproductive health care, integrating cultural and artistic activities. At the same time, many exciting and attractive activities have been organized to convey the message: "Being a girl is great", "Giving equality - Receiving love" or "Give wings to dreams for girls", "Being a girl to shine" ... Especially, to help girls be safe through preventing child marriage. Many clubs have operated effectively such as establishing "Life skills and adolescent reproductive health" clubs in schools; "Pre-marriage" clubs; organizing exchanges on reproductive health care in schools, examining and consulting on reproductive health for students ... to help students improve their skills, while nurturing confidence and self-esteem in a strong way.

Faced with the alarming situation of gender imbalance at birth, in 2021, the People's Committee of Nghe An province also issued Plan No. 525/KH - UBND on implementing the Project to control gender imbalance at birth for the period 2021 - 2025. In particular, the main objective is to strengthen propaganda activities, provide information, disseminate laws, communicate, mobilize, advise, intervene, support... Thereby, raising awareness, consciousness, and responsibility of each individual, family and community in implementing the provisions of the law on prohibiting fetal sex selection in any form.