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China may scrap one-child policy
China, worried about an ageing population, is studying scrapping its controversial one-child policy but will not do away with family-planning policies altogether.
With the world’s biggest population straining scarce land, water and energy resources, China has enforced rules to restrict family size since the 1970s.
An unintended consequence of China’s one child-policy has been a growing gender gap. China’s culture has a preference towards boys and those boys are expected to grow-up and get married. As a result, in some villages women have become quite sought after as there are very few.
This problem is biggest in rural areas, but even large cities like Bejiing are feeling the effects. Even when men move to big cities, the competition for women can be fierce.
What has made the problem even worse is that China’s economic boom has created a generation of well educated, independent women who prefer to be CEO’s and business tycoons than housewives.
The Chinese government has been combating the problem in rural areas by paying families to have girls and emphasizing that girls are as much a part of China’s future as men.
China for its part argues that while the policy is not perfect, it’s prevented several hundred million births which has boosted the overall prosperity of the country.
-Chris Jones
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