GRSJ224/Sex Selective Abortion in China

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Queeny Liang (45867165)

Overview

[1]Sex Birth Ratio in China (1982-2015). The normal ratio is 105 to 100 (males to females). [2]

Sex Selective Abortion is the act of terminating a pregnancy based on the sex of the unborn fetus. The practice of aborting female fetuses is especially common in China. Son preference stems from the belief that girls are less valued than boys. [3] Historically, preference for sons have been exhibited through female infanticide and neglect/abandonment of girls. Following the establishment of the One Child Policy in 1979, coupled with technological advances to accurately determine the sex of the fetus, China has reported a steady increase in sex birth ratio. [4]

By 2005, a number of 1.1 million excess males were estimated across the country, and the number of males under the age of 20 exceeded the number of females by 32 million. [5] The highest sex ratios are observed in areas where there is a strong preference for sons, an easy access to sex selective technology, and a low fertility rate. [4]

Reasons for Son Preference

Economic Factors

Men are perceived as having more physical strength to do labour, therefore having a higher net value. [6] Men are also believed to be responsible for providing an income for the family. In contrast, women's role consisted mainly of reproduction and taking care of children at home. [5][7]

Continuation of Family Line and Name

The emphasis on patrilineal kinship entails that only sons are able to maintain the family lineage and capable of inheriting family property, rights, and titles. [5][6][7] Thus, daughters are often perceived as having "no value" to parents.[5] Consequently, this restricts women's ability to sustain themselves financially without being dependent on a man, further disabling their status in Chinese society. [6]

Responsibility for Care of Parents

Sons are thought to be responsible for the care of his parents in illness and old age. Parents who give birth to a girl often experience guilt and shame because their daughter will eventually marry into the husband's family, ceasing to have responsibility for parents.[8] The daughter's 'slot' in the household is replaced by new incoming brides, who are now responsible for care of the parents. [6] As such, daughters are viewed by her parents as a transient being who are offsprings born to depart, never truly belonging in the family. [3]

Deep Rooted Confucian values

Men are regarded as superior to women. Especially in rural areas, the birth of a boy is celebrated extravagantly. A woman's position in the family dramatically improves if she births a son at first attempt. As a result, a preference for son may stem from a woman's desire to be seen as important and competent. [9]

Consequences of Sex Selective Abortion

[5][10] There are adverse consequences for both men and women. Due to the skewed sex ratio, excess men will be unable to marry. Failure to find a spouse will result in societal prejudice given that social status and acceptance in Chinese society is largely dependent on marriage and creating a new family. For many of these men, feelings of inadequacy and inability to fulfill traditional expectations may increase their susceptibility to a range of psychologic difficulties. This, combined with sexual frustration may lead to aggression and violence. Consistent with this theory, there is increasing evidence demonstrating that an overwhelming majority of violence crime is committed by young, unmarried, low status males. An expansion of the sex industry is also a major concern.

[11] There are implications for women's physical and mental health as well. The strong preference for sons put immense pressure on women to produce boys. As a result, women are sometimes forced to have an abortion against their will if they are carrying a female fetus. Women may also engage in unsafe procedures to terminate the pregnancy. Furthermore, women are the ones responsible for the consequences of giving birth to an unwanted girl. Consequences may take form in domestic violence, family abandonment, or divorce.

Government Policies to Reduce Sex Selective Abortion

1986 Promulgated a regulation that prohibited pre-natal diagnosis (exception: to diagnose hereditary disease)[9]
1992 The Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women ensured equal legal rights for women in politics, culture, education, work, some property rights and marriage [9]
1994 Criminalized not only sex identification of the fetus but also sex selective abortion [9]
2002 Stipulated that sex identification and sex selective abortions are illegal [9]
2003 "Care for Girls" campaign released. Program included poster and media campaigns, focusing on gender equality and the advantages of having girl children [8]
2005 Parents of daughters in rural areas are entitled to a pension of 600 RMB (US $75) per month [8]

In addition, most provinces had regulations (up to 2015) that removed the right to have a second child in the case that the women has undergone SSA. Ultimately, the root cause is son preference. Despite efforts of law enforcements to prevent sex selective abortions, the persistence of "back door" services (available through private connections and bribing) makes it impossible to regulate prenatal sex determination. [9]

Sex Selective Abortion in China Today

In recent decades, the rigid family systems and traditions of inheritance in China have declined. The reduced discrimination against women has shrunk the gap in sex birth ratio. The decline of sex selective abortion is at least in part due to the improvements in women's status. Women now account for 48% of university graduates and 46% of the labour force. In fact, research shows that education is the single most important predictor of gender indifference. [8] Women's ability of being financially independent, combined with modernization and the government's direction toward gender equity is gradually influencing traditional gender attitudes. [5] Though there is an evident diminishment in sex birth ratio, the negative impacts caused by sex selective abortions will not be eliminated quickly. [10] It will likely take several decades before sex birth ratio is within normal limits again.

Works Cited

  1. ↑ Eklund; Purewal, Lisa; Navtej (February 1, 2017). "The bio-politics of population control and sex-selective abortion in China and India". Feminism & Psychology. 27(1): 34–55 – via Sage.
  2. ↑ "Health situation and trend assessment".
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Son Preference". Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Zhu, WeiXing (April 18, 2009). "China's Excess Males, Sex Selective Abortion, and One Child Policy: Analysis of Data from 2005 National Intercensus Survey". BMJ: British Medical Journal. 338: 920–923 – via JSTOR.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Hesketh, Therese (September 6, 2011). "The consequences of son preference and sex-selective abortion in China and other Asian countries". Analysis CMAJ: 1374–1377.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Gupta, Monica (November 20, 2003). "Why is Son Preference so Persistent in East and South Asia? A Cross-Country Study of China, India, and the Republic of Korea". The Journal of Development Studies: 153–187.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Prenatal sex selection" (PDF). September 16, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Zhou, Chi (June 17, 2011). "Son preference and sex-selective abortion in China: informing policy options". Swiss School of Public Health: 459–465.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Chu, JunHong (June 2001). "Prenatal Sex Determination and Sex Selective Abortion in Rural Central China". Population Council. 27: 259–281 – via JSTOR.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Hesketh, Therese (March 2009). "Too many males in China: the causes and the consequences". significance: 9–13.
  11. ↑ Preventing gender-biased sex selection. World Health Organization. pp. 1–28. ISBN 978 92 4 150146 0.
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