United Nations Population Fund
Speech
of Ms. Tran Thi Van, UNFPA Representative a.i. in Viet Nam
Date:
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Event:
Advocacy Workshop on Addressing Sex Ratio at Birth Imbalance from
Gender Perspective
Ballroom 1, Melia Hotel, 44 Ly Thuong Kiet street, Ha Noi
Venue:
Vice Minister of Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hoa
Vice Minister of Health Dr. Nguyen Viet Tien
Representatives from the Government ministries, Donors, International Organizations and
media
Representatives from 10 provinces and cities
Good morning ladies and gentlemen,
On behalf of UNFPA in Viet Nam, I would like to thank the Department of Gender Equality Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) for organising this important
advocacy workshop. This is a great opportunity to dialogue on the importance of changing
mindsets and attitudes of community on son preference and addressing SRB imbalance from
gender perspective. We hope that this dialogue will open a new opportunity for further
collaboration and actions among relevant sectors on joint efforts to address imbalanced SRB
from gender lens in Viet Nam.
Today, 117 million women across Asia are "missing" largely due to the current SRB
imbalance, which is a direct manifestation of extensive gender discrimination. Viet Nam is not
the first country to face SRB imbalance but the reality is that the challenge is significant and is
increasing. The SRB rose from 106.2 boys per 100 girls in 2000 to 111.9 boys per 100 girls in
2011 and this sharp trend continues to rise. There is ample evidence in Asia and in Viet Nam
to show that SRB imbalance is largely caused by pre-natal sex selection, which is driven by
deep-rooted cultural norms favouring sons and placing lower values on girls. Such deeprooted traditions place huge pressure 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 pressure 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.
Distinguished guests,
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The positive news is that many actions have been taken by the Government of Viet Nam to
address the issue. Because pre-natal sex selection is a direct cause of SRB imbalance, this
has been made illegal by the Government of Viet Nam. The issue of SRB imbalance is also
addressed in the National Strategy on Gender Equality and National Strategy on Population
and Reproductive Health for 2011-2020. More still needs to be done to effectively implement
the policies and strategies to address this issue and the time for action is now.
First, more comprehensive behavour change communication to address gender
discrimination needs to be carried out involving mass media, civil society, health workers,
community leaders and other relevant groups. Second, more emphasis is needed on
promoting the role of women and girls in society, improving their status and realising their
rights. Young men and boys must be encouraged to step forward as agents of necessary
social cultural change. Leaders and party members play a key role in setting an example in
promoting gender equality. Third, it is important to strengthen data collection system to
ensure accuracy in collecting and reporting on SRB from village to the central level. We need
to understand much more about SRB imbalance, such as, variations within the country,
among different regions and population groups. Data sources must be of reliable quality to
ensure programme interventions are based on sound evidence.
Distinguished guests,
As Viet Nam continues to do well as a middle income country, achieving many targets of the
MDGs by 2015, there are still disparities and social inequities among geographical areas and
population groups that need to be addressed in the coming years. And, as Viet Nam has
prepared itself to influence the framing of the global development agenda post-2015, the
country must remain committed, more than ever, to addressing social inequities, advancing
gender equality and promoting reproductive rights. The United Nations in Viet Nam stands
ready to continue our work with the Government and other development and civil society
partners to advance the status of women and establish South-South and triangular
collaboration that can strengthen our efforts to tackle sex selection.
Discrimination against girls anywhere in the world is a social ill and a human right violation
which must be stopped. Girls, like boys, deserve equal love, equal opportunity and equal
rights thorough their lives. We all know that gender equality is at the very heart of each
country's sustainable development and Viet Nam is no exception. We must accelerate our
efforts and give priority to developing programmes that foster zero tolerance for gender
discrimination, harmful attitude and unethical practices, for example, pre-natal sex selection.
In 1994, 179 countries, including Viet Nam, agreed at the International Conference on
Population and Development to " eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child and
the root causes of son preference, which result in harmful and unethical practices regarding
female infanticide and prenatal sex selection" (United Nations (1994); paragraph 4.16).
At the international conference on SRB imbalance, successfully organised in 2011 in Ha Noi,
the Government of Viet Nam made a strong declaration to tackle the issue of SRB imbalance
with highest political commitment, action and resources. As a leading government agency
working on gender equality in Viet Nam, the Department of Gender Equality of MOLISA has
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taken responsibility to address root causes of SRB imbalance from gender perspective in
coordination and partnership with concerned ministries and agencies. I would like to reaffirm
UNFPA's commitment to join hands with your efforts and provide all the support we can at the
national and sub-national levels to help bring an end to this phenomenon. Our collective
efforts to achieve this common objective must remain a priority.
I thank you, Vice Minister of MOLISA Nguyen Thanh Hoa and Vice Minister of Health Nguyen
Viet Tien for your continued leadership on this important issue. I thank all the distinguished
guests from the centre and provinces for your attention and participation. I look forward to a
productive workshop and concrete recommendations for improving results. I wish you all good
health, happiness and success.
Xin Cam On!
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