New scheme to help end gender-biased sex selection

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - A new programme dealing with gender-biased sex selection and harmful practices in Vietnam will be carried out from 2020 to 2022, the UN Population Fund and the Norwegian Government announced on April 10.

The programme will be jointly carried out by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health’s General Office for Population and Family Planning, the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, and the Centre for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender - Family - Women and Adolescents.

It aims to help the Government adopt policy frameworks, laws, and schemes to end gender-biased sex selection via awareness campaigns that change social norms and practices about the preference for sons, create improvements in the capacity of journalists, and enhance inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms.

Nguyen Doan Tu, Director General of the General Office for Population and Family Planning, said the sex imbalance at birth is an alarming issue that is still widening in rural and urban areas in many regions.

He suggested improving the role of women and children as well as increasing men’s involvement in gender equality.

Data from Vietnam’s population and housing census in 2019 will serve as a reference point to deal with the issue. The country’s experience and lessons in the field will be shared with Bangladesh and Nepal, which also face the same problem./.