Society

Vietnam strives to reduce sex imbalances at birth

A ceremony was held in the north central province of Thanh Hoa on October 9 in response to International Day of the Girl Child (October 11), focusing on the theme of no sex discrimination and no selection of unborn babies.
Vietnam strives to reduce sex imbalances at birth ảnh 1At the ceremony (Photo: giadinh.net.vn)

Thanh Hoa (VNA) - A ceremony was held in the north centralprovince of Thanh Hoa on October 9 in response to International Day of the GirlChild (October 11), focusing on the theme of no sex discrimination and no selectionof unborn babies. 

The event was co-organisedby the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)in Vietnam, the European Union (EU) Delegation to Vietnam and the People’s Committeeof Thanh Hoa province.

Addressing the event, VoThanh Dong, Deputy General Director of the Health Ministry’s General Office forPopulation and Family Planning, called on ministries, agencies and people fromall walks of life to join efforts in controlling and reducing gender imbalancesat birth in Vietnam.

Actions that guide the sex determinationand selection must be banned at medical centres and in society, he said.

Statistics show that seximbalances at birth in Vietnam increased from 107 boys per 100 girls in 1999 to110.5 in 2009, 113.8 in 2013 and 112.2 at present. The imbalances areincreasing and spreading in all areas and regions  nationwide.

Up to 55out of 63 cities and provinces have sex ratio at birth exceeding 108 boys per100 girls. In Thanh Hoa province, the ratio was 111 in 2009 and 114 in 2017,higher than the country’s average.

Seximbalances at birth in Vietnam are mainly caused by the longstanding habit ofpreferring males to females. Besides, people have easier access to affordablesex determination and sex selection technology, which allow couples to pursuetheir desire for sons.

Vietnam is expected to lackfrom 2.3-4.3 million women by 2050 if no prompt interventions are taken.

InternationalDay of the Girl Child aims to highlight and address the needs and challengesgirls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of theirhuman rights.

Under thetheme, With Her: A Skilled Girl Force, this year’s International Day of theGirl Child will mark the beginning of a year-long effort to bring togetherpartners and stakeholders to advocate for, and draw attention and investmentsto, the most pressing needs and opportunities for girls to attain skills foremployability.-VNA
VNA
#International Day of the Girl Child #sex discrimination #unborn babies #United Nations Population Fund #General Office for Population and Family Planning #Vietnam #VietnamPlus #Viet Nam News Thanh Hoa
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