There are few countries where the number of men is so much higher than the number of women as in Vietnam. The consequences are dramatic - both for men and, paradoxically, even more so for women.
There are too few women in Vietnam today. And until just a few years ago, parents would be worried if their 20- or 25-year-old daughter wasn't married yet. In the meantime, that has changed. Now mothers are worried about their sons. Are there enough schools? Does he earn enough? Can he behave himself? If he does not meet these and other conditions, his chances of finding a wife decrease.
In Vietnam, there are as many as 19 million more boys than girls in the age group from zero to 1,2, the 2019 census showed. There are very few countries in the world with such a drastic difference. For example, China and India have the same problem today.
For men who cannot find a wife, the social consequences are dramatic. But it is even more difficult for women, because as if they are "wanted" they are often exposed to pressure.
Boys have an advantage
A 2018 study titled "Gender Imbalance in Vietnam" cites three main reasons for this gender disparity:
First, there is the preference for male children. In Vietnam, girls are traditionally "worth" less than boys. Dominant Confucianism prescribes a strict gender division and the subordinate role of women. By marrying, a woman enters her husband's family and thus is "lost" to her family. And considering that the state does not provide social security, the children - that is, the sons - have to take care of their old parents.
Another reason is the wide spread of prenatal medical examinations that can determine the sex of an unborn child. Today, 83 percent of pregnant women in Vietnam know the gender of their child before giving birth, the United Nations announced in 2021. And this is so even though the government banned the use of ultrasound for sex determination in 2003.
And the third reason: the Vietnamese government introduced a two-child policy in 1988 due to the rapid growth of the population, which is not strictly enforced. Considering that every family wants a son who continues the lineage and takes care of the old parents, abortions are common during the second or third pregnancy if it is determined that the woman is carrying a girl.
Human trafficking and instability
Kuat Tu Hong, Director of Social Development Studies in Hanoi, told Deutsche Welle (DW): "Vietnamese women are under enormous pressure to give birth to a son. If they fail, they are likely to be mistreated by their husbands and their families, especially in rural areas."
Therefore, this new situation does not result, as might be expected, in the improvement of the position of women - but in more and more ruthless competition. They are increasingly victims of "forced marriage, human trafficking and other forms of violence against women and girls", according to the study "Gender Imbalance in Vietnam". And there is the growing prevalence of prostitution, as well as other forms of sexual exploitation. At the same time, the risk of social unrest has increased, considering that the number of socially and sexually frustrated men is growing.
The situation will continue to worsen, as inequality will increase unless the government takes action. The relative "surplus" of young men between the ages of 20 and 29 will increase from today's 3,5 percent to ten percent by 2059, the UN predicts. So, statistically speaking, every tenth man will not be able to get married.
Good laws, weak welfare state
In order to prevent this, a whole package of measures is necessary, Kuat Tu Hong tells DW, adding that centuries-old tradition must also be changed. And for that, laws, education and a strong welfare state are necessary, the scientist points out.
In 2006, the Vietnamese Parliament adopted the Law on Equality, and in 2013, the prohibition of discrimination based on gender was even included in the Constitution. The government is currently implementing the second ten-year "National Strategy for Gender Equality".
Kuat Tu Hong is convinced: "There is a strong political will of the government in Vietnam to promote gender equality."
Awareness of this problem has also grown significantly, the scientist points out: "Today, people are aware that gender equality is a good thing, but culture and tradition are still very influential." That something is changing in people's minds is also shown by the new worry of parents that their sons will not find a wife.
But only laws and awareness are not enough. Financial changes are also necessary.
"Until we improve the social system, the changes will not be enough," warns Kuat Tu Hong. Children should be released from financial responsibility for their parents. To achieve this, more Vietnamese must be integrated into the pension system. Today, only a third of the old people there receive a pension.
Despite certain obstacles, Kuat Tu Hong still sees changes going in the right direction. The large gender gap in newborns peaked between 2003 and 2013, and was slightly smaller last year. That trend must now be strengthened, the Vietnamese scientist points out.
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