A campaign was launched in Hanoi on September 28 to call for moreefforts from the Government and relevant agencies to stop the genderimbalance at birth, one of the forms of discrimination.

Launchedby the Vietnam Farmers’ Association (VFA), the Vietnam Women’s Union(VWU) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the campaignis also to raise public awareness of the causes and consequences ofchoosing the gender of baby.

In his opening speech, VFAPresident Nguyen Quoc Cuong said the gender ratio at birth remainshigh in Vietnam , increasing to 113.8 boys per 100 girls in 2013from 106.2 boys per 100 girls in 2000, and the trend is growing.
I f the situation is not improved, Vietnam is likely to see2.3 to 4.3 million men unable to find wives by 2050, he added.
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He attributed the gender imbalance at birth to preconceptions thatprefer son to daughter, saying this brings about negative impacts on thecountry’s population structure in the future.

Arthur Erken,UNFPA Chief Representative in Vietnam, said the genderinequality and the underestimation of women and girls are the rootcauses of the newborn gender imbalance.

This requiresmeasures to bring the equality to women and girls in order to ensuretheir human rights and dignity, she said, noting that the men also needto get involved in changing the social and cultural preconceptions.

NguyenThi Tuyet, VWU Vice Chairwoman pledged to further increasecommunication efforts, thus improving the role women in families and thesociety.

In the framework of the event, several workshops andconferences will be organised in Hanoi, northern provinces of Hai Duongan Bac Ninh to promote the campaign.-VNA