China B

China's one child policy

Pro/Anti-Natalist Policy
A Pro-Natalist policy is a protocol that aims to increase the total birth rate, in order to boost the population growth. Pro-Natalist policies are seen in countries such as France and Germany, where the populations grows at a slow paste. The most famous one that has had the greatest impact on the country's demographics is France's "Code de la famille".
An Anti-Natalist policy is a protocol that aims to reduce the total birth rate, in order to slow the population growth. Policies like this are seen in countries such as China, India or Nigeria, where the population grows at a fast pace. The most famous one that has had the greatest impact on the country's demographics is China's "one child policy".

Examples

India

India has the world’s second largest population (1.2 billion) and is growing by 1,76% every year for the last decade. This creates a lot of problems such as lack of sanitation, education and healthcare for its population. Therefore they had to introduce different anti-natalist policies:

They use propaganda and education to encourage the population to plan their families as well as have less children.
They give money (106 dollars) to couples that postpone the plans they had to have children by two years at least.
Encourage sterilizations and reward the people for that.

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON INDIA and its ANTI-NATALIST POLICIES

Nigeria

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and has one of the fastest growing populations in the world. To slow down the rate of the population growth and improve people’s quality of life, in 1888, the Nigerian government introduced the National policy promoting family planning and benefits of small families.

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON NIGERIA and its ANTI-NATALIST POLICIES

What is it ?

It's a policy that was introduced in China when the population was growing far too rapidly and needed to be kept under control. The massive population caused a famine that killed thousands and thousands of people. Therefore, the government took action. The policy stated that families could no longer have more than one child in order to decrease the population growth. If they did, they would be punished by the law. These sanctions could be fees or less government support. In some extreme cases, women were forced to abort and adopt sterilization.

Does it apply to everyone ?

It applies to the vast majority of people but there are exceptions:

If both parents are only-child, they can have a second child.
It doesn't apply to ethnic minorities.
If their first child is a girl, a couple can apply to have a second child.
In case of practical difficulties (ex. if the father is a disabled serviceman or if the child is intellectually disabled).
If a child is born oversea, it isn't counted as a first child in the policy.

Propaganda posters of happy families designed to embolden people to only have one child.

History

1953

Chinese leaders are concerned by the growing population and pass a law encouraging contraception and abortion however it is later dismissed after the famine.

1970

China's population grows to more than 800 million.

1975

China encourages families to only have one child and heavily discourages having more than 3 children per family.

1978

The Communist party officially sets a limit of children that any family can have and a marriage law is passed that obliges families to have family planning.

1984

Some families are allowed to have two children if they live in rural areas or a few other circumstances.

2001

China becomes more strict and sets laws that say that they may penalise any unnapproved births and they can fine if the amount of children is exceeded.

2013

China relaxes its policy, and now allows couples with only one of the two parents who is an only child, to have a second child.

Effects

Positive:

Without this policy, China would count 400 millions more people today.
Birth rates are now of 13/1 000 unlike 45/1 000 in the past.
Contraception’s availability has increased.
Since 1797, nearly 250 millions births have been prevented.
Since the late 1960s, the population growth has fallen from 2,21% to 0,65%.
In 2030, even though it will still be of approximately 1,45billion, China’s population will reach its highest level.
Surveys have found that 76% of China's population supports the policy.
Chinese society became more economically stable as women could focus on their careers as they didn't have to concentrate on their children.

Negative:

China was blamed for the lack of human rights, which consists in this case of freedom of choice, forced sterilizations and daughter's abortions. The population remains extremely high (1,3billion) and is still growing everyday.
This had inevitably led to corruption: many people paid to have more children.
China is now facing a rising dependency ratio.
It has introduced the "Little Emperor Syndrome" where the boys were favored and spoilt as they insured the passing of the family name and were a good source of income. Therefore, female infanticide was introduced as well.
It created gender imbalance: the sex ratio is 1.18 man to 1 woman. Single men are very concerned by this sex imbalance.
In some areas in China, there was a lack of workers.
Many parents abandoned their children to be adopted.
Created injustice between the poor and the affluent as the affluent could afford to pay the fines that are imposed on a family that has more than one child.

China's total fertility rate decreased form 6.2 (1955) to 1.7 (2013)

This graph shows that by having only one child to focus on, there is a better commitment of the families on their career. This is mainly why China's GDP has drastically increased since 1960 (88.8 USD -> 6,807.2 USD)

This magazine highlights the negative side of the policy.

Time. (issue 23 of Dec 02, 2013)

Opinions

Chinese opinions:

Despite the fact that there has been a relaxation of the policy in recent years, families still choose to only have one child for practical as well as economical reasons, but most importantly because they have been indoctrinated by the fact that having only one child is better.

If I have one child it will be raised better. It will have more opportunities. And my career is the most important thing. I really want to excel at it.
Lu Zhufeng, a 20-year-old medical student.

Undoubtedly, some families also want to expand and have more children because their only child might feel lonely or want someone to play with.

I’d like to have a sister or a brother, because I would feel less lonely growing up.
Zhang Bowen.

Some Chinese citizens, especially women, protest against the brutality the policy has created, and more specifically the forced abortions.

Chinese women protesting against forced abortions.

Worldwide opinions:

Generally, most people in the world think it has been a great success, reducing the world's population, and therefore reducing a huge issue in the world: overpopulation.

Experts say that it is the root cause of the rising demographic crisis in China. In fact, a lower fertility rate, an ageing population and a shrinking economically active population will put enormous pressure on the economy.

With data released by the Chinese Health Ministry stating that 336 millions abortions and 222 million sterilizations have occurred, some people feel it has been way too brutal and created a numerous amount of problems that we have previously seen. (Click on the link below to see)

Negative Effects.

China's one-child policy punishes families for having 'out-of-plan' children, resulting in sex-selective abortion and tens of millions of 'missing girls' as well as forced abortion and sterilization campaigns. »
American politician Chris Smith.

Caricature criticising the lack of human rights of the Chinese government in The Miami Herald

China nowadays and its predicted future

The policy has somewhat been relaxed for the past years but still is present in China. Ethnic minorities groups, families from rural areas with a first-born girl and only child couples are now allowed to have a second child (Families in 300 districts can also now have a second child if they apply for permission). Nevertheless, China still has an enormous population of 1.3billion and face a decrease in the fertility of rate as well as in the economically active population which will eventually lead to an ageing population in the future.