HaNam (VNA) – Gender inequality at birth has increased in thenorthern province of Ha Nam in recent years, according to the provincial Officeof Population and Family Planning.

Theoffice reported that the sex ratio at birth was 112.7 boys to 100 girls in2016, 112.8 boys to 100 girls in 2017, and 113.6 boys to 100 girls in 2018.

Genderimbalance among newborns happen in six districts and city, mostly in Binh Lucdistrict with 118.8 boys to 100 girls, followed by Ly Nhan district with 114.6boys to 100 girls. Notably, it becomes alarming in Thanh Nguyen commune, ThanhLiem district (175.7 boys to 100 girls); Chau Son commune, Phu Ly city (166.7boys to 100 girls); An Lao commune, Binh Luc district (163 boys to 100 girls); andBac Ly commune, Ly Nhan district (160.7 boys to 100 girls).

TaThi Hoa, head of the office, said masculine ideology remains popular in manyhouseholds while technologies intervening in the choice of gender at birth havedeveloped, resulting in ineffective control of the issue.

Thereare over 12,900 newborn babies in the locality this year, 1,800 of them arethird children, accounting for 14 percent of the total, up 3.76 percentyear-on-year.

Hoasaid the office will continue stepping up the implementation of ResolutionNo.21-NQ/TW on population work in the new situation, and spread the motto “Eachfamily should give birth to two children”.

Itwill also launch a project on controlling gender inequality for the 2016-2025period, monitoring the supply of family planning services, and inspecting printingestablishments to promptly discover violations regarding publications guidingthe choice of gender at birth.-VNA