China's one child policy

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 796.

The policy China decided to introduce was extremely strict and probably not possible in a non-communist country. The government stated that from 1979 all couples were only allowed to have one child. They also increased the marriageable age of men to 22. To get married and to have a child, citizens had to apply to the government. If you applied by these rules you were entitled to free education, healthcare, housing and given a job. If you did not follow the rules, then benefits would be removed and females who were found to be pregnant were given forced abortions and even sterilised.

To enforce the policy the government relied on community enforcement. Often elderly residents who were trusted within the community were asked to inform, elderly female informants were nicknamed 'granny police'. The strict enforcement of the policy led to a problem of female infanticide. This is the killing of female babies, because couples favoured male children. Males ensured the family name was maintained and were able to work manual jobs, whereas females would be lost after marriage (females normally went to live with their husbands family).

There were a number of exceptions to the rules, if you had twins or triplets this was fine, if your first child had a physical or mental disability you could have a second, families in rural areas (farming areas) were often allowed a second, ethnic minorities were allowed a second and often couples who bribed officials could have a second.

The policy has been relatively successful, birth rates have fallen from a peak off 44 in the 1950's down to just 12. China's population is also expected to peak in the next 20 years and then slowly start to decrease. Because of its success there have been further relaxations including:

· All of families in females areas can now have two

· Two people who marry from single children families they are allowed two

· Females are better educated about contraception and are free to make their own choices.

However, there are also a few problems:

· China is still overpopulated, there are over 1.3 billion Chinese

· There is a male female imbalance in the population

· People are demanding greater freedom and choice

· China will slowly get an ageing population.

· There are large numbers of abandoned children