Gov't enlists religions' help in family planning work

HCM City, June 23 (VNA)- Representatives from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and over 70 clerics from five southern provinces flocked to Ho Chi Minh City on June 22 to discuss solutions to the current imbalance of genders among newborns.

The seminar, themed "Promoting clerics' role in campaigning for population and family planning work," was co-sponsored by the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Population Department under the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

The participants heard the UNFPA warn against the outnumbering of boys over girls in Asia, including Vietnam , due to the preference of boys to girls.

The discrimination has led to the abuse of ultrasound scan for gender selection purpose, the UNFPA reported.

Abortions on gender selection grounds have threatened the health and life of pregnant mothers while the gender imbalance has been blamed for women trafficking.

Clerics at the event shared experiences in persuading followers to
eliminate gender discrimination, thus reducing the gender imbalance among newborns and domestic violence.