The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched a three-year partnership programme with the government of Norway. The programme aims to address ‘gender biased sex selection and related harmful practices in Vietnam’.
The programme will be co-implemented by the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the General Office for Population and Family Planning under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, according to the Vietnamese daily Vietnam News.
The programme will support the implementation of legal- and policy frameworks to end gender biased sex selection and will include campaigns to change social norms and practices, implementation of a fatherhood programme and a strengthening of the media to showcase the programmes intentions.
The current social norm in family structure in Vietnam prefers sons and places low value on girls.
“Strengthening and defending global norms on practices and the rights of girls and women, including works against son preference, is a priority for Norway,” said Grethe Lochen, the Norwegian Ambassador in Vietnam.
“I am very pleased that Vietnam, with the financial support of Norway and UNFPA, is taking a stand in addressing gender biased sex selection,” said the ambassador of Norway in Vietnam.
“With this new programme, we will support the Vietnamese government of Vietnam and civil society to speed up the process of change towards a modern and progressive Vietnam where women and girls have the same opportunities to succeed in society as men and boys do, and where we value our girls as much as we value our boys,” said the UNFPA representative in Vietnam, Naomi Kitahara.
Source: Vietnam News
