Hanoi addresses gender disparity in fertility

Hanoi set the target to address gender disparity in fertility to control the sex ratio, which is part of the city plan to strengthen population work in new situations.

Under the plan, in 2024, Hanoi aims to eliminate the imbalance in the sex ratio at birth, or at least maintain the sex ratio at 111.2 boys per 100 girls. Relevant departments and district People's Committees are tasked with effectively integrating population factors into local development plans.

Vu Duy Hung, Director of the Hanoi Sub-Department of Population and Family Planning, said that the city has been working on population and family planning since the beginning of 2024, striving to bring the sex ratio at birth back to the natural law, contributing to a stable population structure. 

Newborns are cared for at the Central Obstetrics Hospital in Hanoi. Photo: Hanoimoi

"The large population, vast area, and unsustainable fertility decline present certain challenges to population and family planning efforts at present," Hung told The Hanoi Times.

Statistics from the city's Department of Health show that the gender imbalance at birth in Vietnam increased from 107 boys per 100 girls in 1999 to 110.5 in 2009, 113 in 2019, and 111.2 at present. The imbalance is growing and spreading nationwide.

Up to 55 out of 63 cities and provinces, including Hanoi, have a sex ratio at birth of more than 108 boys per 100 girls, according to Tran Van Chung, Deputy Director of the department.

"The gender imbalance at birth in Vietnam is mainly caused by the deep-rooted preference for sons over daughters. Many believe that only sons can take care of worshipping their ancestors and maintaining the lineage," the official explained. 

"In addition, people have easier access to affordable sex determination and sex selection technologies that allow couples to pursue their desire for sons. As a result, Vietnam is expected to face a shortage of 2.3 to 4.3 million women by 2050 if no immediate action is taken," Chung said.

A doctor at Medlatec General Hospital in Hanoi counsels a couple about reproductive health. Photo: Medlatec

To avoid unforeseen consequences that could jeopardize the country's demographic stability and sustainable growth, he emphasized the need to correct the gender imbalance at birth in Hanoi and throughout the country.

"The imbalance in Vietnam started in 2006 but has been growing rapidly in both urban and rural areas. Vietnam is among the three countries with the highest rate of sex ratio imbalance, after China and India," Chung said.

The deputy director noted that the gender imbalance has had many consequences, one of the most immediate and visible being the pressure to marry due to the lack of women.

"It is predicted that Vietnam will have an excess of 1.5 million males aged 15-49 by 2035, and this number will increase to 2.5 million by 2060 if the current sex ratio at birth remains unchanged. This will make it difficult for many men to get married, especially those from low socio-economic backgrounds," he added.

Chung emphasized that the gender imbalance at birth can only be fully addressed through long-term and sustainable solutions to son preference, the advancement of women, and the creation of an equal society.

While acknowledging the achievements of Hanoi's population and family planning efforts over the years, which have contributed positively to the capital's socio-economic development, the deputy director said it is necessary to continue implementing measures to control gender imbalance.

"The city's Sub-Department of Population and Family Planning will continue to focus on communication campaigns, counseling, and direct dialogue with couples of reproductive age while providing them with contraceptives," Chung told The Hanoi Times.