The United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA) has raised the alarm over the serious consequences caused byVietnamese couples selecting the sex of their babies, saying that thesurplus of adult men would amount to 10 percent of the femalepopulation by 2035.
In its report “Recent changes in the sexratio at birth (SRB) in Vietnam” published on Sept. 10, UNFPA said thatVietnamese couples’ increasing access to sex determination andselection technology is the main factor behind the nation’s current sexratio imbalance.
The report also said that the SRB has changed dramatically, rising from106.2 male births per 100 female births in 2002 to 112.1 in 2008. TheSRB might even pass the 115 mark within three years, it said.
If the sex ratio imbalance continues to increase, men who wereborn after 2005 and coming of marriageable age in 2035, will findthemselves in much greater numbers than women the same age. Thescarcity of women could increase the pressure on them to marry at ayounger age. This may also encourage human trafficking, which hasalready been seen in Vietnam, in response to this imbalance, accordingto the report.
UNFPA also warned that the consequences of a significant imbalancebetween men and women should be taken into account in all relatedpolicy decisions, including stricter enforcement of the regulationsgoverning sex-selection services in the country.
It suggested that the nation should promote the women’s role and value in society and overhaul its social welfare system./.
In its report “Recent changes in the sexratio at birth (SRB) in Vietnam” published on Sept. 10, UNFPA said thatVietnamese couples’ increasing access to sex determination andselection technology is the main factor behind the nation’s current sexratio imbalance.
The report also said that the SRB has changed dramatically, rising from106.2 male births per 100 female births in 2002 to 112.1 in 2008. TheSRB might even pass the 115 mark within three years, it said.
If the sex ratio imbalance continues to increase, men who wereborn after 2005 and coming of marriageable age in 2035, will findthemselves in much greater numbers than women the same age. Thescarcity of women could increase the pressure on them to marry at ayounger age. This may also encourage human trafficking, which hasalready been seen in Vietnam, in response to this imbalance, accordingto the report.
UNFPA also warned that the consequences of a significant imbalancebetween men and women should be taken into account in all relatedpolicy decisions, including stricter enforcement of the regulationsgoverning sex-selection services in the country.
It suggested that the nation should promote the women’s role and value in society and overhaul its social welfare system./.
