Population Control Policies

China’s One Child Policy

Background

• 1949 – China became a communist country;

–Government had complete control

• People were encouraged to have large families to gain military strength and for people to help with agricultural production

This led to OVER-POPULATION in China…

In 1979, the government

introduced the

One Child Policy,

to slow population growth.

Quote from Chinese Vice Premier Chen Muhua

“A policy of encouragement and punishment for maternity, with encouragement as the main feature, will be implemented. Parents having one child will be encouraged and strict measures will be enforced to control the birth of two or more babies. Everything should be done to insure that the natural population growth rate in China falls to zero by 2000”

Policy Incentives:

• Salary bonus (urban)

• Bigger land allocation (rural)

• Extended maternity leave

• Paid medical and hospital expenses

• Priority access to housing, employment and schooling for the child

Disobeying the policy:

• Withdrawal of family allowance and medical benefits

• Fines (even against everyone in the village or town)

• Demotion or discharge from a government job

Exceptions to the Rule:

• Multiple births (twins or triplets);

• Membership of certain minority ethnic groups;

• Having a child with a disability that is likely to result in inability to work;

• Pregnancy after adopting a child;

• Rural family with ‘real difficulties’ (all children so far being girls)

Situation today: Policy is still in place, but changes have been made.• If both parents are single children, they

may apply to have two children.

• If an only child dies, parents may apply to have another.

• Today the rule only limits 36% of the population to having only one child.

• 53% of people are allowed to have a second child if first baby is a girl.

Societal Concerns and Problems:

1. Gender Imbalance:– Approximately 120 males are born for every

100 females;– As many as 40 million men could spend their

lives as bachelors;– Women are being kidnapped and sold;– Female babies are frequently aborted in

utero, abandoned or killed after birth (female infanticide)

2. Overuse of fertility medicines: wealthy couples try to increase their chance of having multiple births.

3. “Little Emperors” – a term used to describe the increasingly spoiled, only male child in each family.

Is it working to reduce population growth?

• Yes

• Government officials say the policy has prevented 250 million births;

• Birth rate has gone from 3.4 to 1.7 births per woman.

But…

• China’s population is still expected to grow.

• Many people believe that it is a violation of human rights to enforce such a policy.

• As recently as May 2007, population control officials confiscated property, collected heavy fines and even forced dozens of women to have abortions.

Today…

• The government is providing more education and support for alternative birth control methods.

• They are also trying to teach people that girls should be valued equally with boys.

You decide…

Does a government have the right to legislate policies that limit the number of children an individual can have, in order to control exploding populations?

Works Cited

“Chinese Peasants see one-child raids as cover for theft”. CBC. 05/29/2007. Online. 05/29/2007. http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/05/29/china-riots.html

Olesen, Alexa. “Official: Chinese government partly to blame for problem of too many boys”. 01/23/2007. Online. 4/4/2008. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rch&AN=MYO033601819707&lang=en-ca&site=src-can

Rosenberg, Matt. “China’s One Child Policy”. 02/07/2006. Online. 11/13/2006.

http://geography.about.com/od/populationgeography/a/onechild.htm