Nghe An: The alarming gender imbalance at birth

On the morning of March 7, the General Department of Population and Family Planning coordinated with the United Nations Population Fund to organize a seminar on "Controlling gender imbalance at birth based on gender bias".

The seminar was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, the United Nations Population Fund in Vietnam, the Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Central Vietnam Farmers' Union, central agencies, social organizations and research units. The conference was held online in connection with the Department ofPopulation- Family planning, agencies, departments, and organizations of Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, Hung Yen, Vung Tau, Ben Tre, and Nghe An provinces. In the photo: Mr. Nguyen Ba Tan - Head of the Department of Population and Family Planning presided at Nghe An bridgehead. Photo: My Ha

The seminar was held in the context of the serious gender imbalance at birth in Vietnam. In his opening speech, Mr. Pham Vu Hoang - Deputy Director General, General Department of Population - Family Planning - Ministry of Health also said: Since 1980, the problem of gender imbalance at birth has occurred in a number of Asian countries. In Vietnam, the problem of gender imbalance at birth has occurred since the early years of the 21st century.

Statistics show that the situationgender imbalance at birthIt happened late but the rate of increase was faster than in Asian countries and had its own characteristics that made the sex ratio at birth always high, with quite complicated developments. Particularly from 2006 to now, the sex ratio at birth has always been above 111 boys/100 girls and has increased and decreased unsteadily, and by 2021, this ratio is at 111.8 boys/girls.

Having more boys than girls will lead to many consequences in the future. Photo: My Ha

Worryingly, gender imbalance occurs in both urban and rural areas, from the first birth, higher from the third birth and higher in couples with high education and good economic status. The underlying cause is the problem of gender inequality.male chauvinism.

From the above reality, the leaders of the General Department of Population and Family Planning also expressed concern because if the problem of gender imbalance at birth continues and is not controlled, it will affect the economy, culture, society, and even political security. It is predicted that if the gender ratio at birth remains as it is at the present time and is not controlled, Vietnam will have a surplus of 1.5 million men by 2034 and increase to 2.5 million men by 2059.

To address the issue of gender imbalance at birth, Vietnam has been improving its legal policies on gender equality and the gap in gender imbalance at birth.

The Vietnamese Government also has intervention solutions, in which since 2016 the Government has issued a Decision approving the Project to control gender imbalance at birth for the period 2016 - 2025 with the goal of effectively controlling the increase in sex ratio at birth to gradually bring the sex ratio at birth back to its natural balance.

At the seminar with the participation of domestic and international experts and managers, delegates shared and discussed to propose initiatives to strengthen actions to reduce gender imbalance at birth in Vietnam.

The conference took place online. Photo: My Ha

In addition, some presentations also shared experiences on solving the problem of gender selection at birth and ending the preference for sons; promoting men's participation in the Responsible Fatherhood program to end the preference for sons...

According to a report by the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning, 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.

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 and sense of responsibility of each individual, family and community in implementing the provisions of the law on strictly prohibiting fetal sex selection in any form.

At the same time, create consensus among the whole society in implementing legal regulations on prohibiting the provision of services related to fetal sex selection.