Current Status and Impact of Imbalance of Sex Ratio at Birth in the Son La Province, Vietnam45256

Current Status and Impact of Imbalance of Sex Ratio at Birth in the Son La Province, Vietnam Tong Thi Quynh Huong (1)(*) (1) Tay Bac University, Son La, Vietnam * Correspondence: huong.tbu87@gmail.com Abstract: In Vietnam, imbalance of sex ratio at birth is becoming one of the most difficult problems for population and family planning, which has been attracting the attention of the community Due to misconceptions, son preference is still evident in social life In 2018, Son La had the highest sex ratio at birth, approximately 120 boys/100 girls Notably, this situation occurs everywhere in the province, including in rural and urban areas Combined with general sources of Son La sex ratio, 2010 - 2018 of Son La Department of Population and Family Planning, the article analyzes and clarifies the imbalance in sex ratio at birth and negative impacts on family and society in Son La Keywords: Sex imbalance at birth; consequences, Son La Introduction The sex ratio at birth is an important quantity in a population study, understood as the number of boys born compared to 100 girls born in a given time period, usually a year in a country, a region or a province This indicator shows how many boys will be born for every 100 girls born Usually for every 100 girls born there will be between 103 and 107 boys, and will generally be very stable over time and space across continents, countries, regions and ethnic groups The imbalance in the sex ratio at birth occurs when the number of live births is higher or lower than the normal threshold for every 100 girls, i.e when the sex ratio at birth is greater than 107 or less than 103 compared to 100 girls Any significant change in the sex ratio at birth deviates from the normal biological level to reflect intentional interventions to some extent and will affect the natural imbalance, threatens the stability of the population Sex imbalance at birth has occurred from the beginning year 80 of the twentieth century, seriously affecting economic and security situation security, politics, society of many countries in Asia In Vietnam, the sex imbalance at birth appears later, from these the first year of the twenty-first century, which took place at a fast pace, became increasingly widespread and came severity It can be said that the gender imbalance has been one of the worrying issues, being of top concern in Vietnam in general as well as provinces in particular According to forecasts of the General Department of Population and Family Planning, with the current situation of gender imbalance at birth, by 2050 Vietnam will lack about 2.3 to 4.3 million women, An excess of males of marriageable age can lead to a breakdown of the family structure, a part of men will have to marry late, many of whom are unable to marry Son La is the province with the average population size in the country In 2010, the province had 1092.7 thousand people, by 2016 increased to 1208.2 thousand people The population growth rate tends to decrease over the years but it is still high compared to the 59 national average In 2010, the natural population growth rate was 1.85%, by 2016 it decreased to 1.45% Such a decline is a result of population education and family planning in reducing fertility (between 2010 and 2016 the birth rate decreased from 24.3 ‰ to 18.5 ‰) In the population structure, the proportion of men and women is quite different, the structure of the male population has always accounted for a higher proportion than the female population and remained quite stable in recent years, especially when the Son hydroelectric plant project La attracts a large number of male workers to build the project The percentage of men in the total population is 50.3%, the percentage of women is 49.7% The gender imbalance at birth in Son La is at an alarming rate Statisticing in the whole province, the sex ratio in Son La is currently approximately 120 boys/100 girls Notably, this situation occurs in all districts and cities in the province, including in rural and urban areas Some districts that have had high rates of inequality at birth for many years are Phu Yen, Song Ma, Muong La, Moc Chau, Quynh Nhai and Son La City Methodology The author uses professional methods to study the theoretical and practical basis of sex imbalance at birth, lessons learned on reducing the sex imbalance at birth in the world and in Vietnam, applied in research in Son La; using methods of collecting, analyzing and synthesizing documents and data; field method: expert method; sociological survey method to clarify the current situation of sex imbalance at birth in Son La On that basis, the author assesses the consequences of the imbalance of sex ratio at birth on family and society in Son La Results 3.1 Situation of the problem of sex imbalance at birth The current gender imbalance at birth in Son La is alarming, according to specialized statistics of Son La Department of Population and Family Planning, the period 2010-2018 tends to increase, especially from 2013 up to now, specifically: In 2010 109.8 boys for every 100 girls; by 2013 increased to 114.4; 2016 was 118.7 and 2018 was 118.4 - the highest in the country 60 125 120 117.5 2014 2015 118.7 119.4 2016 2017 118.4 113.9 115 110 117.5 109.8 108.8 103.2 105 100 95 2010 2011 2012 2013 2018 Figure Sex ratio at birth in Son La period 2010 - 2018 Besides, according to incomplete statistics, Son La's sex ratio at birth is high even in the first birth (117.1/100) At the second birth, the pressure to produce a son has been reduced and brought the sex ratio at birth close to the biological balance However, at the third birth or higher, the pressure to have a son is shown most strongly The ratio at this time increased very high to 124.3 boys for every 100 girls; especially for couples without sons, this ratio reaches 145.2 / 100 The reason is that if in the past, a son had only one way to have a child until he had a new son, and the sex ratio at the last birth was very high In demography, this is called a "stopping rule" or in other words, the sex factor has decided to stop giving birth rather than the number of children already But now, due to the rapid decline in fertility and the easy access to prenatal sex selection techniques, the “stopping rule” in Son La has also changed so that the sex ratio at birth have a third or higher birth in a group of mothers who have not had such a son In addition, the level of sex imbalance at birth in couples with high education, the better-off family economy is often much higher than that of poor couples Highly educated women actively use contraception and proactively adjust their desired number of children These women often have better economic conditions to be able to afford prenatal sex selection services and they meet both goals: small family size and having a son Population and labor statistics of the General Statistics Office show that when women's educational attainment increased, the sex ratio at birth also increased, from 109 - 116/100 (in mothers with primary education education), up to 119 boys/100 girls (in high school mothers) and up to 124/100 in the group of mothers with university or higher education Table Sex ratio at birth between urban and rural areas in Son La Area 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2018 The whole province 109.8 103.2 108.8 114.4 117.5 118.4 Rural 127.9 117 108.7 114.6 119.5 121.4 Urban 109 102 109 114.1 116.2 115.4 On a local scale, the sex ratio at birth is also different Some districts have continuous high fertility ratios for many years, especially in the period of 2013 - 2017, such as Bac Yen, Moc Chau, Quynh Nhai and Son La City Typically, in 2016, Bac Yen had a sex ratio at birth of 151.4 boys for every 100 girls - a serious gender imbalance at birth that agencies here used 61 the word "red alert" to describe However, by 2018, these localities had significantly improved sex ratio at birth At the same time, some districts in the previous years that had sex ratio at birth at an average level compared to the whole province increased sharply in 2018 such as Muong La, Thuan Chau and Yen Chau According to the statistics of the Department of Population and Family Planning, in 2018 Son La has 5/12 districts with sex ratio at birth higher than the provincial average, 7/12 districts have SBR lower than the provincial average The districts with the highest sex ratio at birth are Yen Chau 133.9 boys for every 100 girls, Muong La 132.4; The locality with the lowest sex ratio at birth is Quynh Nhai 103.1, achieving a balanced sex ratio at birth Table Sex ratio at birth by locality 2010 - 2018 District / city 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Bac Yen Mai Son Moc Chau Muong La Phu Yen Quynh Nhai Song Ma Sop Cop Thuan Chau Van Ho Yen Chau Son La city The whole province 132.5 100.4 112.3 120.4 106.0 122.5 99.1 96.4 114.8 107.2 113.3 109.8 117.8 109.9 117.5 109.0 109.4 108.7 104.2 157.4 123.8 97.8 109.9 103.2 114.4 106.0 104.6 109.0 112.2 105.4 106.2 119.7 111.9 106.0 107.9 108.8 109.4 113.7 137.0 123.1 116.7 109.7 114.7 102.0 108.7 105.1 116.9 113.9 102.4 116.9 113.0 128.3 110.4 120.0 118.4 111.0 123.6 133.5 104.2 127.0 117.5 108.8 123.9 121.6 118.0 112.4 116.3 114.2 105.2 116.5 132.0 106.2 137.2 117.5 151.4 117.6 112.5 124.9 119.3 128.4 108.2 115.3 118.3 111.2 111.5 121.8 118.7 134.1 126.2 115.7 117.2 123.6 115.8 121.8 107.8 117.1 115.2 107.1 123.6 119.4 114.8 115.8 112.5 132.4 123.0 103.1 110.6 114.9 126.5 121.0 133.9 111.7 118.4 Son La, Quynh Nhai and Bac Yen are the localities that have made great changes in the implementation of population policies and brought about high efficiency, helping to improve the sex ratio at birth In Son La City, in recent years, the natural population growth rate has maintained at 1.1%, fertility has decreased from 0.3 to 0.5 ‰; There are many villages over the past 10 years without people violating the policies on population and family planning However, like other localities in the province, the gender inequality rate in Son La City tends to increase in the period of 2013 - 2017, specifically in 2013 was 116.9 boys/100 girls, year 2014 was 127 boys for every 100 girls, by 2015 the city's sex ratio at birth increased to 137.2 boys for every 100 girls; in which, the high ratio communes are Hua La, Chieng Xom commune, Chieng Sinh ward In the past years, the sex ratio at birth of the city decreased and in 2018 reached 111.7 Quynh Nhai District is also one of the localities with the highest fertility disparity, especially in 2015 and 2016, if in 2015, the statistics were 116 boys/100 girls; by 2016 this figure will be 128/100, much higher than the provincial average Muong Chien and Chieng On communes have the highest rates of sex imbalance at birth According to the average statistics in August 2016, there were boys for every 10 babies born; girls However, due 62 to the effective implementation of population policies, the district's sex ratio at birth has decreased sharply and reached the lowest level in the province, 103.1 in 2018 Meanwhile, Yen Chau and Muong La are the two localities with a sudden increase in the sex ratio at birth only in 2017 and 2018 If in 2017 the sex ratio at birth of Yen Chau is only 107.1 boys For every 100 girls, a year later reached 133.9 - the highest in the province (in 2018, Yen Chau had 691 boys born compared to 516 girls) In the same period, Muong La's sex ratio at birth increased from 117.2 to 132.4 boys for every 100 girls (in 2018, Muong La had 989 boys being born compared to 747 girls) The reason given is that most of the people still think of men and women as disdain, want a son to continue the family line and shoulder the heavy work of the family These are alarming figures showing that Son La province has had a serious gender imbalance at birth and needs timely interventions to control this situation 3.2 Consequences of a sex imbalance at birth The imbalance in the sex ratio at birth will cause bad effects on the family and society For the family: Family happiness will not be complete if it is difficult for an adult male to have a chance of getting the wife he wants, to be single This causes anxiety, psychological stress, takes more time in finding a wife, for family members, affecting happiness and the sustainable development of the family economy A wife must try to give birth to a son by being forced by the family and husband, or having an abortion because of the sex selection of the fetus which will adversely affect the health of the woman and the sustainable development To maintain the family economy because of trying to give birth to a son, it means that women have to give birth many times, leading to their health declining In addition, each birth can cause unpredictable risks to the health of both mother and child Every abortion causes anxiety and fear for the woman Abortion can cause catastrophic events such as ice, cervical damage, infection, placenta and can lead to infertility Abortion and the attempt to have a son all affect the sustainable economic development of the family due to the increased costs for health care for women, reduced income of family members and Must spend a lot of time to take care of women's health For society: According to the statistics of Son La Department of Population and Family Planning, in the next years, Son La will have about 5,000 - 7,000 men unable to get married; in the next 10 - 15 years, the number of men who will not get married will reach tens of thousands of people The situation of excess of men of marriageable age may lead to the breakdown of the family structure, a part of men The world will have to get married late and many of them will not be able to get married Increasing the sex ratio at birth not only does not improve the status of women, but even increases gender inequality: many women have to get married earlier, the rate of divorce and women's remarriage will increase, gender violence, prostitution and trafficking will increase, increasing the risk of HIV infection and social diseases, causing political, economic and social instability According to the statistics of functional agencies, in the 63 province, there are 229 cases of citizens who are women and children absent from the locality suspected of being tricked into selling abroad, mainly China Particularly in 2015, the number of victims who were tricked into selling abroad in cases of trafficking and trafficking in children was 34 victims, most of them were women and children of Mong and Thai ethnic groups aged between 15 and 30; living in remote and isolated areas, with low educational levels, difficult and light economic circumstances, gullibility and ignorance A part of uneducated, underemployed female students is easily seduced and cheated by criminals, who are then tricked into selling abroad as illegal wives, becoming prostitutes at foreign prostitutes , exploited labor Currently, the province has begun to have areas where prostitutes appear, which are at risk of causing social disorder and disorder, increasing drug addicts and HIV-infected people across the province Therefore, the sex ratio at birth is considered one of the important indicators to evaluate gender equality Conclusions and discussion In Son La province, the rate of sex imbalance at birth is in the state of "red alert" The sex ratio at birth tends to increase, especially since 2013, here in 2018 was 118.4 boys/100 girls - the highest in the country It is worth noting that the difference in sex ratio at birth occurs across districts and cities in the province, including in rural and urban areas Rural and urban areas in Son La had an increasing sex ratio at birth between 2010 and 2018, but in urban areas it was much higher than in rural areas, 121.4 and 115, respectively 2018 On a local scale, the sex ratio at birth is also different Some districts have continuous high fertility ratios for many years, especially in the period of 2013 - 2017, such as Bac Yen, Moc Chau, Quynh Nhai and Son La city Typically, Son La city has a sex ratio at birth of 137.2 boys for every 100 girls in 2015, Bac Yen for 151.4 in 2016 To 2018, Yen Chau and Muong La are the two localities with the ratio The sex ratio at birth is highest in the province with 133.9 and 132.4 boys for every 100 girls These are alarming figures showing that Son La province has had a serious gender imbalance at birth There are many reasons for the gender imbalance in Son La, but the main reason is that the concept of men and women, having a son to continue the lineage is still quite heavy not only in remote areas, ethnic minority areas, but even in towns, townships, residential groups, State officials The imbalance in the sex ratio at birth will have many consequences: Impact on The province's population structure in the future will result in male and female surplus in society, delayed marriage among men or an increase in the rate of single living Gender imbalance leads to an increased risk of gender-based violence Some industries will suffer from labor shortages such as preschool teachers, primary school, midwives, nurses Difficulties in marriage, the risk of spreading sexually transmitted diseases, migration one common fact is that increasing the sex ratio not only does not improve the status of women but even increases gender inequality and violence against women and girls Social crimes, increased demand for sex trafficking, sexual abuse and trafficking networks for women, etc Therefore, it is necessary to provide specific, practical and coordinated solutions among levels and sectors, including behavioral change communication solutions including propaganda, advocacy and education, persuading people to see all the risks, the 64 consequences of the imbalance of the sex ratio at birth so that people can voluntarily implement it, not participate in the process of prenatal selection to really bring about lasting effects firm References Dang, H.P (2006) 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Current trends, consequences and policy implications UNFPA, Bangkok UNFPA (2014) The Imbalanced Sex Ratio at Birth in Vietnam: Connecting Research and Policy for Change Policy Brief, UNFPA, Hanoi UNFPA (2016) Gender imbalance at birth in Vietnam 2014, Trends, factors and differences, Labor - Social Publishing House Hanoi Weller, R., Bouvier, L.F (1981) Population, Demography and Policy St Martin’s Press: New York Williamson, N (1976) Sons or Daughters: A Cross-Cultural Survey of Parental Preferences Beverly Hills, CA: Sage 65 ... of the imbalance of sex ratio at birth on family and society in Son La Results 3.1 Situation of the problem of sex imbalance at birth The current gender imbalance at birth in Son La is alarming,... of men in the total population is 50.3%, the percentage of women is 49.7% The gender imbalance at birth in Son La is at an alarming rate Statisticing in the whole province, the sex ratio in Son. .. basis of sex imbalance at birth, lessons learned on reducing the sex imbalance at birth in the world and in Vietnam, applied in research in Son La; using methods of collecting, analyzing and synthesizing