Launching of the national campaign "STOP Gender discrimination, STOP gender-biased sex selection"

If no interventions are undertaken, it is estimated that by 2050, Viet Nam will be confronted with a scenario of a surplus of around 2.3 to 4.3 million men who will not be able to find a wife. There is ample evidence in Asia and in Viet Nam to show that the SRB imbalance is largely caused by gender-biased sex selection, which is driven in turn by deep-rooted cultural norms favouring sons and placing lower values on girls. Such deep-rooted traditions place huge pressures on women to produce sons, which ultimately affects their overall social economic status as well as their sexual and reproductive lives, with implications for their health and survival.

The imbalanced SRB will affect Viet Nam's population structure in the future, resulting in an excess of males in society. The consequences are potentially serious: a scarcity of women would increase pressures for them to marry at a younger age and perhaps drop out of school to do so. There may be a rising demand for sex work; and trafficking networks may also expand in response to this imbalance.

On the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child (11 October), the General Office for Population and Family Planning (GOPFP), Ministry of Health in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Viet Nam launches today a national campaign on "STOP Gender discrimination, STOP gender-biased sex selection". The campaign aims to raise awareness among the general public on the causes and consequences of gender-biased sex selection and to call for greater efforts by the government and all stakeholders to join hands to bring an end to this phenomenon, which is a form of gender discrimination.

Addressing the launch, Mr. Pham Le Tuan, Vice Minister of Health stressed that: "The solution is not to focus on the phenomena, but to address the broader context of socio-economic development and the promotion and protection of human rights to dismantle gender inequality so that the dignity and human rights of every woman, every young person and every individual are achieved. When women and girls have equal access to health care, education, and job opportunities as men and boys do, then they can do what men and boys are expected to do".

Viet Nam has undertaken a number of measures to halt increasing SRB imbalance with the highest political commitment, actions and resources. However, renewed and concerted efforts are now needed, including efforts to address the deeply rooted gender discrimination against women and girls which lies at the heart of sex selection.

More efforts are still required to change the mindset of people, particularly men, towards son preference and behaviours of gender-biased sex selection. "I would like to call for joint efforts to work towards a modern Viet Nam where women and girls have equal opportunities to succeed in society as men and boys do; where we value our girls as much as we value our boys; and where son preference is a thing of the past! In particular, we need men and boys to support this effort, " said Ms. Ritsu Nacken, UNFPA Representative a.i. in Viet Nam.

Discrimination against girls anywhere in the world is a social ill and a human rights violation, which must be stopped. Girls, like boys, deserve equal love, equal opportunity and equal rights thorough their lives. Gender equality is at the very heart of the country's sustainable development.

Regardless who you are, where you are from, your age, region, occupation and gender, you can join hands to say NO to pre-natal sex selection. Every small action counts and contributes to a society of equality, respect and love.