1. China’s One Child Policy
1979 law
Restricts family size
Urges late marriage
Requires spacing of children

2. Rationale for the Policy
Feeding 25% of world’s population on 7% of the arable land
Population containment essential to economic reform & living standards
Flooding & famine can send them into starvation

3. Why boys? Social safety net Sons care for parents
Financial dependence on offspring essential for 70% of elderly
Sons care for parents
Daughters tend parents-in-law

4. 60 exceptions to Rule Rule applies to few
Mainly urbanites & gov’t employees

5. Exceptions Farmers Ethnic minorities
Families with disabled first child
Multiple births
Parents who work in high risk occupation
Parents who are single children themselves
Etc,etc,etc.

6. Penalties vary according to region
Economic incentives for compliance
Fees levied for non compliance
Loss of job security
Confiscation of belongings

7. Methods of enforcement
Universal access to contraception
IUDs
Tubal ligation
87% of all women use these

8. Abortion rate low 25% of Chinese women of reproductive age
43 % of U.S. women of reproductive age

9. Is it working? Fertility rate declined from 2.9 in 1979
Presently 1.7 children per woman
Before OCP, fertility rate dropped by half: “late, long, few”

10. Major downsides Gender ratio 100 girls to 115 boys 1980-2001
Sex selective abortion—illegal
Non-registration of females
Abandonment of females
Lack of eligible brides
Mental health problems for men
Socially disruptive behavior in men
Kidnapping & trafficking or women
More sex workers & STDs

11. Billboard promoting girls
"There's no difference between having a girl or a boy — girls can also continue the family line."

12. Downside: ratio of old age dependence
More old people; fewer young
4:2:1 phenomenon; couple responsible for 1 child & 4 parents

13. Future of the Policy
Balance basic human right of reproduction with pop growth
Pop still increasing 10 million per year
Equal to pop of Belgium

14. “How to practice good hygiene”

15. Relaxed policy IF… Baby boom can be averted
5 yrs between babies is achieved
It would reduce gender imbalance

16. Family planning poster

17. New policies in 2002 Choice of contraceptive methods
Client centered family planning services
Permission not needed for first child