China’s one child policy “Experimen

t” Ashley Eastep, Comfort Orebayo,

Katie Scruggs

Background In 1953, China’s political leaders believed that it’s growing

population needed to be controlled

They approved a law on contraception and abortion

However, the law was stranded during the 1956-1961 Famine

From 1950 - 1975 the population grew from 540 million to approximately 940 million

1n 1975, leaders encouraged the citizens to marry later and have only one child but no more than two by adopting the slogan “late long and few”

from 1979-1980, Chinese officials developed a plan to reduce China's population to the desired level by 2080.

China’s One-Child Policy was formally on September 25, 1980, in an open letter by the Chinese Communist Party

1980

Official start of the one child policy

Government sent out an open letter

Describing the current problem

Set a goal to bring the populations below 1.2 billion by the end of the 20th century

Policy was reinforced by

Fining couples who had a second child

Offering incentives for couples who abided by the policy

an estimated 336 million abortions and 222 million sterilizations since 1971

1984Government relaxed on some

rules

Allowed some families to have more than one child

Parents who were only children “okayed” to have more than only one child (usually two)

Rates fell from 1970-1995

2.9 children/woman -1970

1.7 children/woman -1995

Government considered policy “successful”

Problems/Controversies

1.Shortage in workforce

2.Unproportionate male and female

populations

3.Social Problems

Workforce Shortage

the one child policy, while successful in reducing population growth rates, has created an aged Chinese population

huge economic growth in the last couple of decades, but these rates are sustainable with current population demographics

estimated labor shortage of 140 million workers by 2030

the first children born in the era of the one child policy face the growing burden of supporting the growing population of retirees

Unbalance between Male and Female Populations

“shortage” of women

because boys are favored, especially in traditional societies, Chinese parents have been selectively aborting baby girls

Normal Populations: 105-107 males to 100 females

China: 115 males to 100 females

some areas as many as 130 males to 100 females

Chinese men are having problems finding wives

Social Environment Problemssibling-sibling interactions can play a key role in

development and growth

especially in pre-school years

lack of competition in the new one-child generation

education and work environments

increase in sex trafficking and violence in the female “bride” market

flooding of orphanages with abandoned baby girls

large amount of unregistered babies, especially girls, living illegally without official status

Criticisms

Unequal Enforcement

Sex-Selective Abortion, Abandonment and Infanticide

Violation of Human Rights

Criticism: Unequal Enforcement

Chinese government officials and various wealthy individuals in china are often allowed to violate the one-child policy without facing penalties

Chinese citizens living in rural areas are by law allowed to have more than one child.

In November 2013, Chinese official implemented a relaxation policy that allowed single-parent households to have more than one child.

Criticisms: Sex-Selective Abortion, abandonment and Infanticide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb-yYWzw2rk

Criticisms: Violation of Human Rights

According to a 1968 proclamation of the International Conference on Human Rights, China’s one-child policy violates a human’s right to “determine the size of one’s own family”

According to a Daily Telegraph article, Chinese local officials were pressure in purchasing ultrasound devices in order to identify and forced abortions (typically by and injection of saline solution) on pregnant women as far along as 8.5 months

2015: Potential Abolition

In October 2015, Xinhua, A Chinese news agency Xinhua announced plans of the government to abolish the one-child policy, allowing all families to have two children.

This abolition is due to the crushing demographic crisis as a result of the one-child policy. With a 5:1 ratio of working adults to retiree, China has too many men, too many old people, and too few young people.

2015: Potential Abolition

On November 2nd, 2015 China's top family planning authority stated that the new two-child policy would be implemented once it is ratified in annual session of the National People’s Congress scheduled for March 2016

References

"The Ghost Children: In the Wake of China's One-child Policy, a Generation Is Lost." The Globe and Mail. N.p., 13 Mar. 2015. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

Nie, Weiliang . “China’s one-child policy - success or failure?” BBC News. 25 September 2010. Web. 11 November. 2015.

Zhu, W X . "The One Child Family Policy".Archives of Disease in Childhood 1 June 2003 88 (6): 463–64.

China On New Two-Child Policy: Not So Fast". Huffington Post. 2 November 2015.

Berenson, Tessa. "Here’s How China’s One-Child Policy Started in the First Place." Time. N.p., 29 Oct. 2015. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

Berezow, Alex. “China’s Diastrous One-Child Policy.” Forbes. 25 March, 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

Fong, Mei “China’s one-child policy”, October 2015 Web. 11 Nov. 2015

"The Houses Where China's Babies Are Abandoned." YouTube. YouTube, 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.