Norway continue to support Vietnam in ending gender biased sex selection

Illustrative image (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)

Norway together with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has again strongly asserted their commitment and desire to work and support Vietnam in ending gender-biased sex selection (GBSS), local media Vietnam Plus reports. Gender-biased sex selection is a form of discrimination against girls and a human rights violation.

During a working session on 15 April, Grete Lochen, the Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam, and Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam made a joint affirmation. The working session aimed to discuss gender equality in Vietnam, focusing on gender-based violence and GBSS.

The Norwegian Ambassador said at the session that Norway’s government’s top priority is to strengthen and observe global standards of girl’s and women’s rights including changing the preference for sons.

According to the Ambassador, close cooperation and a comprehensive approach are among the major measures for the successful resolution of the problem and Vietnam is showing a pioneering role in dealing with the issue. Norway is working with several partners and relevant parties including the UNFPA to deal with the issue on all fronts, the Ambassador said.

Vietnam’s gender imbalance has strongly increased in recent years and stood at 111.5 boys per 100 girls in 2019, according to the 2019 Population and Housing Census. The working session was a chance for both Norway and Vietnam to review the three-year “Addressing Gender Biased Sex Selection and Related Harmful Practices in Vietnam” project, which was launched in April 2020.

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