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The Impact of China's One-Child Policy on Women

(Published to ITMD on May 18, 2010)

By Jixin Wang@ (For full paper, click here.)

Since the Chinese government formally implemented the Population and Family Planning Law in 1982, the policy of promoting one-child per family in urban areas has affected society in multiple ways and provided many benefits to women. Due to the influence of traditional Confucian values, Chinese families and society have historically favored males and discriminated against females. Women have been expected to stay home to take care of their families. Though the government has made many efforts to raise the traditionally low status of women since 1949, discrimination against females has continued. However, the one-child policy is forcing society to change.

The Educated Woman:  Although the purpose of one-child policy was not to improve women’s status, it creates opportunities for girls in urban areas to receive higher education. It forces families to change their traditional concepts about sons being the only hope for the entire family. Many couples in urban areas have to accept the idea that their daughter offers the only hope for the support of the family. Therefore, daughters in urban areas are encouraged to pursue higher education, which offers a path leading to a successful career.

The Career Woman:  Now many women have joined the employment market and become successful. The one-child policy reduces the number of years women spend bearing and raising children. As a result, women have more time to pursue careers, including higher positions in companies and governments. Society generally respects well-educated or competent women. Women are seen as being more suitable for jobs in the service sector, which views women as being ideal employees. Furthermore, many women are succeeding in the workplace because the one-child policy changed their lifestyle values. They no longer rely on their families as providing the only meaning for their lives and are motivated to devote themselves to their occupations.

The Burdened Woman:  Because China lacks a social security system, the child is often the main supporter of the family when parents retire. As China increasingly becomes an aging society, the burden of supporting elderly relatives increases for children. As a result of many families having only one child, physical and financial burdens often now fall on the shoulders of one individual. Married women are still held responsible for household issues. While the one-child policy releases women from some childbearing responsibilities, it also increases the heavy burden of taking care of elderly parents. Some married women work full-time while also taking care of multiple sets of retired or elderly couples—their parents, husbands’ parents and potentially some grandparents. Sometimes, parents live with the couple, increasing the daily care-taking responsibilities.

The Missing Girls:  Sons are still more preferable in China because Confucian values about gender roles have deeply impacted people’s minds. In some ways, the one-child policy and the challenge of being an aging society have reinforced this preference for males.
Abortion is legal in China. Although sex selection is not legal, it is happening in many places in China, mainly in rural areas. This process is likely the reason for China’s high sex ratio. For the population as a whole, there are 106 males for every 100 females. For children aged 0-9 years, the ratio is even higher: there are 121 males for every 100 females.

As a consequence of the “missing girls” problem, around 10 percent of the men who were born between 1980 and 2000 will not be able to find wives. The Chinese government predicts that in 2020, 30 percent of marriage-age males will not find brides. Because it is so hard for males to find a proper wife, trafficking or selling women occurs in China. Aside from that problem, sex selection is harmful to the health of women who abort infants. Many abortions occur in rural areas occur without good medical care. In addition, it is unfair to the female infants who cannot be born due to their gender.

The Gold Miss:  The “Gold Miss” phenomenon refers to women with higher education, professional jobs and good earnings who do not have boyfriends, lovers or husbands. They may be beautiful and have high social status, but they cannot someone to get married when they reach the suitable age for marriage. They are perceived by males as being too critical or snobbish. Furthermore, women with high status usually want to find a husband with equal or higher status. Unless men are in great condition, such as good financial condition or a good job, women will not choose them.

In conclusion, the one-child policy has benefitted urban women who can receive higher education and better work opportunities because they have support from their parents. However, improvement in women’s status has been slow and problematic.
China should provide better safety net for the elderly population to reduce burdens on the younger generation, including working women and unmarried men. Additionally, although abortion is legal in China, sex selection is illegal. The Chinese government, especially the local governments, should devote more of its effort toward prohibiting these illegal abortions and provide better medical conditions for women.

 

References:

1. Avraham Ebenstein. (2008). The "Missing Girls" of China and the Unintended Consequences of the One Child Policy. The journal of human resources. Vol. 45, No.1 pp.87-115
2. Avraham Y. Ebenstein & Ethan Jennings Sharygin. (2009). The Consequences of the “Missing Girls” of China. The world bank economic review, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 399–425
3. Lawrence K.Hong. (1987) Potential effects of the one-child policy on gender equality in the People’s Republic of China. Gender & Society. Vol.1, No. 3 pp 317-324
4. Li Weixiong. (1998). Family planning in China. Ethik in der Medizin. Vol.10, Supplement 1 S26-S33
5. MasterCard,& The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. (2007). Understanding the Affluent Consumers of China. Insights. Retrieved April 15,2010, from http://www.masterintelligence.com/upload/176/110/Affluent_Consumers_China-S.pdf
6. National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2008).China Statistical Yearbook. Beijing: China Statistic Press.
7. Vanessa L.Fong. (2002). China's One-Child Policy and the Empowerment of Urban Daughters. American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 104, No. 4 pp. 1098-1109

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