VN tackles gender imbalance

VGP – Around 2 million Vietnamese men, or about 10% of the male population would find it hard to find their wives within the next 20-25 years as gender imbalance is challenging the country.

May 31, 2011 8:46 AM GMT+7

Vietnamese parents’ long-standing preference for sons is one of major reasons for imbalanced sex ratio in Việt Nam - Illustration photo

Deputy PM Nguyễn Thiện Nhân on May 30 in Hà Nội presided over a meeting to seek solutions to rapid alternation in sex ratio at birth.

Statistics show that about 110 boys were born for every 100 girls. The rate is rising alarmingly.

Việt Nam is among countries with the highest rate of selective abortion in the world, said Deputy Health Minister Nguyễn Viết Tiến.

According to the Ministry of Health, the imbalance will lead to a host of unpredicted social implications, even in security and political order, when the boys enter marriageable age in 2025.

Vietnamese parents’ long-standing preference for sons, ultrasound technology, legitimate right to have an abortion during the first three months of pregnancy, and low-cost and easy abortions are attributed to the serious imbalance in sex ratio at birth.

Addressing the meeting, the Deputy PM highlighted that sex balance at birth plays a leading role in the national sustainable development.

Mr. Nhân noted that in the short term, the focus will be given to ten localities where sex ratio imbalance is higher than others, the promotion of information dissemination on sex balance, and the application of obligatory conditions for selective abortions./.

By Hương Giang