Download China`s One Child Policy

China’s One Child Policy
China -Factfile
• 25% of the world’s population
• 7% of world’s arable land
• 8% of the world’s water supply
• LAWS: 1979 – One child policy
*1980s – parents in rural areas may have 2
children if the first is a girl.
*1990s – city parents may buy a permit
(costing one year’s wages) for a second
child
*Punishment: abortion, mothers held in
detention centres, sterilization, fines eviction
from home
History of the One Child Policy
• 1950s: In the early 1950s the philosophy of the
Chinese government was ‘a large population
gives a strong nation’. The government wanted
many children to be born.
• 1959-61: Up to 20 million people died in a
famine including many children.
• 1960s: There was a population boom. The
population increased by 55 million during the
decade ( roughly the total population of the UK)
• 1980s: Asking families to have fewer children during the
1970s had not worked so in 1979 the One Child Policy
was introduced. Strong pressure was put on women to
use contraception. There were even people known as
‘granny police’ whose job it was to watch their
neighbours to make sure they were taking the pill. If
they suspected women were pregnant without
permission they were reported to the authorities. Some
women were forced to have abortions and sterilisations.
• 1990s: The policy has been deemed a failure. At a
meeting in Peking in 1989 delegates were told there
would be around 120mn more Chinese people than had
been planned.
• 2000: Policy has been relaxed, but you are still fined
heavily is you have more than one child.
Government Propaganda for the
One Child Policy
For those with one child:
1. Free Education for your one child.
2. An extra months salary per year until
your child is 14.
3. A house normally reserved for a family of
4.
4. Pension benefits.
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
For those with 2 children:
No free education
No allowances
No pension benefits
Payment of a fine to the state from
earnings
5. Demotion at work, or even
unemployment
• To help you:
• 1. Women must be 20yrs old before they can
marry.
• 2. Men must be 22yrs old before they can marry.
• 3. Couples must have permission to marry.
• 4. Couples must have permission to have one
child.
• 5. All hospitals have family planning officers.
• 6. Family planning is available at work.
• 7. Redundant country people are encouraged to
move to towns.
Effects of the One Child Policy
• Birth control measure seem to be working in the cities.
• In the Shaanxi Province there are 145 males born for every 100
females born.
• This leads to large numbers of unmarried men.
• The baby boom of the 1950s means China has a large greying
population.
• The policy means there are low numbers of younger people to
support the old.
• Children with no brothers and sisters receive a great deal of
attention – spoilt.
• In rural areas problems have risen as they need the children to help
on the farm. They go to great lengths to ensure the first child born is
male. If the first child is a girl the child may be disposed or killed
(female infanticide)