Many negative consequences result from gender imbalance at birth.

Worried about having too many sons.

Even at over 60 years old, surrounded by daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, and grandchildren, Mrs. Hoang Thi Lien, residing in Hamlet 4, Nam Linh Commune, Nam Dan District, still has sleepless nights filled with worry.

Sharing her thoughts on this, Ms. Lien said that her family has three children, all of whom are married. However, while her husband is an only son, her children have six grandchildren, five of whom are boys. She believes raising a son is much more difficult than raising a daughter. "My granddaughter is 13 years old this year, and she's well-behaved, thoughtful, and caring towards her grandparents and parents. But sons are definitely more mischievous, and the burden of raising them is much greater because you have to worry about their education, work, and household chores. It's really hard," Ms. Lien shared.

Living in the same neighborhood as Mrs. Lien, Mrs. Hoang Thi Mai holds a different view, wanting more grandsons to help support and care for the family in the future. However, because her children are all working far away as factory workers and their lives are not yet stable, she rarely talks about her wishes to avoid putting pressure on them. "Of course, everyone has both sons and daughters, and if my children want to have three more children or more, I can't interfere. But I still tell them that if they want to have more children, their finances must be stable to avoid future hardship for them and their grandchildren, not having enough money to provide for their children's education," Mrs. Mai confided.

A public awareness campaign on gender imbalance at birth, recently organized by the Provincial Population and Family Planning Department in Nam Linh commune, attracted a large number of local residents.

Notably, the target audience for this outreach program was not women of childbearing age, but primarily grandmothers and mothers – those who are now grandparents. Although the outreach time was short, during the talks, population workers made an effort to convey a great deal of information about gender, gender equality, especially gender equality within the family. The goal was to raise awareness among the public about the role of women and to eliminate outdated views such as male chauvinism.

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Outdated views are one of the reasons why many families still prefer to have sons and do not value or respect daughters. Therefore, we hope that through this conversation, grandmothers and mothers will change their perceptions and thinking, and thus guide their children in the family, avoiding the mindset that they must have a son.

Ms. Thai Thi Tuyet - Head of the Population Department, Provincial Population and Family Planning Sub-Department

The gender imbalance at birth is a noticeable issue in many rural areas today. In Nam Linh commune, out of more than 67 children born in the first 10 months of 2024, 40 were boys and 27 were girls.

Ms. Le Thi Tram, a population officer in the commune, said: "Many young couples nowadays use prenatal screening to have a son. Therefore, the percentage of boys in the commune is increasing. Although we have tried to raise awareness and encourage people to change their mindset, it is still very difficult. Every family tries to have one son, or if they only have daughters, they feel compelled to have more children, even if it's a third or fourth child."

Alarming gender imbalance at birth.

The gender imbalance at birth has been a cause for concern in Vietnam for many years. In Nghe An province in particular, this is a persistent issue due to the increasingly severe gender imbalance, placing it among the provinces with the highest rates of gender imbalance at birth in the country.

In Nam Dan district, during the first 10 months of 2024, the estimated sex ratio imbalance at birth was 117%, with many communes exceeding the district average, such as Nam Linh, Hong Long, Nam Xuan, and Khanh Son. This is also one of the reasons why the rate of third births in the district remains high at over 21%. Many cases involve having a third child or more with the aim of having a son.

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Communicating about gender imbalance is one of the key tasks of the Nam Dan District Health Department, in coordination with relevant departments and agencies. However, the dissemination of information remains challenging because the belief in having sons is deeply ingrained in the subconscious of the people and in many families.

To raise public awareness, we recognize this as a long-term endeavor, requiring a gradual and persistent approach so that people will gradually understand the consequences and avoid excessive interference in pregnancy and childbirth."

Ms. Le Thi Lai - Head of Population Department, Nam Dan District Health Center

Across the province, according to reports, in the first three quarters of 2024, the rate of third births remained high and was higher than the same period last year. In addition, the ratio...gender imbalanceThe sex ratio at birth remains high at 116.39 boys per 100 girls, while the natural sex ratio at birth is 104-106 boys per 100 girls.

Besides Nam Dan district, many other localities also have higher gender imbalance ratios than the provincial average, such as Anh Son district with 117.37 males/100 females, Dien Chau district with 119.66 males/100 females, Do Luong district with 133 males/100 females, Que Phong district with 136 males/100 females, Vinh city with 128.77 males/100 females, Thanh Chuong district, and Tan Ky district with 119 males/100 females.

These are all alarming figures, and if this situation is not curbed, it will lead to many consequences. In a few decades, men of marriageable age will be unable to find wives due to a shortage of women, easily leading to an increase in sexual crimes, fraud, kidnapping, trafficking of women; an increase in prostitution and rape of women…

Given the current high birth rate and sex ratio at birth, the future population structure will shift towards an aging population and a shortage of men in certain age groups...

In collaboration with local authorities, the Provincial Population and Family Planning Sub-Department has actively advised the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Health to issue directives on population work and controlling gender imbalance at birth; coordinated with various departments, agencies, and organizations to disseminate the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws on population and controlling gender imbalance at birth; and conducted inspections to ensure compliance with legal regulations on fetal sex determination at public and private medical facilities.

In a discussion with Mr. Hoang Dinh Tung, Head of the Provincial Population and Family Planning Department, he affirmed that the consequences of gender imbalance at birth have been predicted to be significant. Therefore, bringing the sex ratio at birth back to a natural balance requires decisive actions and greater efforts from all levels, sectors, localities, and each individual and family.

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In the coming period, the Provincial Population and Family Planning Department will continue to disseminate the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws on population work in the new situation. It will coordinate with relevant departments, localities, and units to promote the dissemination of the Marriage and Family Law, the Gender Equality Law; the reality of gender imbalance at birth, its causes, consequences, and solutions.

In addition, there will be increased efforts to promote awareness of the role and status of women and girls; comprehensive life skills and sex education, with a focus on gender equality, so that girls can live in a safe environment and develop fully physically and intellectually...

Mr. Hoang Dinh Tung - Head of the Provincial Population and Family Planning Department