CHINA

1
CHINAS ONE CHILD POLICY

• An introduction to the implementation of Chinas
  one child policy

2
Background

• During its existence (from 1949) the Peoples
  Republic of China blew hot and cold about birth
  control
• During this time the population nearly doubled
  and reached the 1 billion mark
• During the 1960s the growth rate averaged at 2.4
  per year

3
Quotes

• If I have one child it will be raised better. It
  will have more opportunities. And my career is
  the most important thing. I really want to excel
  at it
• Lu Zhufeng a 20 year old medical student

4
Quotes

• Vigilantes abduct pregnant women on the streets
  and haul them off, sometimes handcuffed or
  trussed, to abortion clinics (Some) aborted
  babies cry when they are born
• Steve Mosher author of Broken Earth

5
Introduction

• The One Child Policy was introduced in 1979
• Its aim was to reduce the rate of population
  growth
• It works by persuades couples to not have more
  than one child through use of penalties

6
The Policy

• Advocates delayed marriage and delayed child
  bearing
• Advocating fewer and healthier babies
• Advocating one child per couple

7
Exceptions

• Ethnic minorities are formally excluded from the
  policy
• If both parents are only children they are
  allowed to have more than one child provided the
  children are spaced more than 4 years
• Families who have children with mental or
  physical disabilities are sometimes allowed to
  have another child

8
The Benefits

• Preferential treatment in education
• Healthcare
• Housing
• Wages
• Couples with unauthorised children are subjected
  to a range of economic, social and political
  sanctions

9
Thoughts

• Education is very expensive
• Resources concentrated on one child
• Women are able to concentrate on careers
• Increased role for women in the workplace

10
Thoughts

• Chinese families overwhelming prefer male
  children to female children
• Increase in female infanticide
• Abortions forced on women who are visibly
  pregnant with their second child
• Mass sterilisations in rural areas

11
Horror Stories

• Chinese region must conduct 20,000 abortions
• Headline Daily Telegraph 05/08/2001

12
One Child Policy - Backlash

• Sex selective abortion
• High divorce rate involving women whose one
  child turns out to be a girl (however the law has
  changed to prevent this resulting in men beating
  their wives until they divorce them on grounds of
  assault)
• Little Emperor Syndrome

13
Success or Failure?

• Rural areas more reluctant, reasons for this
  include
• The continuing need for security in old age
• The abandonment of the cooperative farming system
  meaning child labour is important
• The perception that girls are no good in ether
  respect because they marry and leave home

14
Success or failure continued

• So far the policy has reduced Chinas population
  by 250 million
• Critics say that the ratio of Chinese males to
  Chinese females 100 to 117

15
The Future

• Recent speculation about the future of the policy
• A Chinese official has been quoted as saying that
  the policy was intended for one generation only