CHINA’S ONE CHILD POLICY

CHINA’S ONE CHILD POLICY An introduction to the implementation of China’s one child policy

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

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

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’

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

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

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

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

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

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

Horror Stories “Chinese region ‘must conduct 20,000 abortions’ Headline Daily Telegraph 05/08/2001

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

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

Success or failure continued • So far the policy has reduced China’s population by 250 million • Critics say that the ratio of Chinese males to Chinese females 100 to 117

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

CHINA’S ONE CHILD POLICY