|
NDO – Vietnam has endeavoured to promote gender equality using various means, including tackling the imbalanced sex ratio at birth (SRB), according to an official. |
|
Addressing the national launch of the State of World Population 2020 report in Hanoi on July 17, Pham Ngoc Tien, Head of the Gender Equality Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that Vietnam has always considered gender equality as both a goal and driving force for sustainable development, with continued improvements in the legal framework to further improve the issue. However, gender equality remains with SRB imbalance deeply rooted in social norms and practices which reinforce “son preference” and a low value of both women and girls. Thus, bringing SRB to a natural balance is also one of the goals of the National Strategy on Gender Equality for the 2021-2030 period which the ministry is developing and will submit to the Prime Minister for approval in 2020, said Tien. Launched by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the report stated that in Vietnam, gender equality has improved over the past few decades, but gender-biased sex selection as a harmful practice remains, leading to the imbalance in SRB. Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam, said that the nation is making progress, but the progress must be accelerated within the context of the Decade of Action for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She also stressed the need to put an end to the “son preference” and the undervaluing of girls in order to further promote gender equality in the country. Source: Nhan dan Online
|
