Growing gender imbalance looms in Vietnam
A report by the Vietnam Committee on Population, Family and Children has revealed that the traditional ideology of holding in esteem males and disdaining females has resulted in a large number of males in society in comparison with females.
In the first half of this year, the number of male newborn babies was 289,126, whereas the number for females stands at 216,585. The gender ratio of newborn infants is 110.8 male births per 100 females.
Signals of a gender imbalance first came to light in a nation-wide survey on population in 1999, in which the gender ratio in 16 provinces and cities surpassed the standard of 106 male/100 females. In northern Thai Binh province, the ratio is: 120 males/100 females; central Kon Tum province: 124 males/100 females; southern An Giang province: 128 males/100 females. The natural ratio should be 105-107 males per 100 females.
In Vietnam, especially in the countryside, many families with daughters keep having children until they get a son. Many couples prefer to have sons to carry on the family line. A male is considered a great pillar in the family. This idea is sometimes carried over to the workplace.
In big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, women can now use ultrasound scans to determine the sex of their fetus and ensure the birth of a boy. At present, Vietnam has one of the world's highest rates of abortion.
By Nguyen Ngoc Trung - OhmyNews (.kr) - September 21, 2005.
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