Join hands for our girl children
More than 500 delegates representing central and local agencies and organizations as well as members of the VWU, VNFU and Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in Bac Ninh province attended the events.
According to the statistics of the General Office for Population and Family Planning, the SRB imbalance in Vietnam is now at an alarming level. For the first 6 months of 2014, the SRB in Vietnam was 114.3 boys per 100 girls, which was 3.8% higher than that of 2013. If that sharp trend continues with no intervention taken, it is estimated that by 2050, Vietnam will confront with a scenario of an excess of around 2.3 to 4.3 million men, who would not be able to find a wife. Severe consequences of this situation can worsen gender inequality and change the society for the worse such as possible increase in forced earlier marriages due to the lack of women, difficulty for men in finding a marriage partner; increased gender inequality in job opportunities; increased prostitution and sexual abuse and expansion of women trafficking networks…
Speaking at the meeting, VWU Vice President Tran Thi Huong pointed out main reasons for the current SRB imbalance which are “the son preference psychology and the underestimation of roles of women and girl children”. VWU Vice President suggested that the VWU at all levels should continue implementing IEC and support activities to enhance awareness, social position and role of women and girl children, thus contributing to sustainable reduction of SRB imbalance. The Vice President also called on sectors, agencies and organizations at different levels and the whole community to “take actions for gender equality and stop prenatal sex selection in order not to negatively affect Vietnam’s population structure”.
After the meeting, the delegates participated in a parade passing some Bac Ninh’s streets to show the determination to join hands for girls.
On this occasion, on the afternoon of 24 September, 2014 Central VWU cooperated with Bac Ninh and Hai Duong Provincial WUs to organize a play performance on SRB imbalance with messages communicated to local VWU staff, members, women and community to raise their awareness on and encourage them to take actions for gender equality, particularly to address SRB imbalance.
