Across Asian countries inclusive of China, India, South Korea and Singapore* amongst others there has always been a deep-rooted belief that males hold supreme power over females and should a family survive in life and death male heirs must be produced. While this is nothing new, the numbers of 'missing' girls have been rising, and in China it has surpassed the millions. A conservative estimate places aproximately 24 million Chinese men of marrying age without a spouse by 2020 (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) however previous estimates have put that number between 30 to 50 million.
While the reason for this gender bias exists in deep tradition, newer technologies and techniques have exorbated this problem along side population control legislation (as the one child policy in China). Most of these 'missing' girls are girls who were aborted, killed in infancy or neglected to the point of death.
While one could assume that the less educated or less wealthy a family was, the stronger the bias would tend toward males - however this has not been the case. In India (to my best knowledge does not have a population control legislation) it is noticed that gender bias towards males are more prevalent in richer, more well off families. Education and wealth thus does not seem to be the solution to the removal of gender bias as once thought. However, in wealthier families, the overall family unit is smaller than that found in rural areas so the same pressures on a woman in a well off family is the same as a woman in a poor family. The only thing is that she has a smaller family and so pressure to have a son is greater.
(Anaolgy: you can keep flipping a coin for a head and the laws of probability dictate that you will get a head if you flip to infinity. But if you have a restriction and must get a head in three flips the pressure is on - even if you have to cheat and bias the coin.)
While this socio-economic pressure is not seen in China - the same restriction applies as dictated by the one child policy. However it seems that while the gender imbalance is still skewed in cities it is not as sever as in some provinces, which could point to education and wealth playing a part in lightening the gender bias. It has to be noted that there are exemptions from the one child policy and while some may argue that the gender imbalance does not exist in the eldest children, there is definately a more sever gender imbalance bias towards males in subsequent births.
This is not an abortion debate, if you are looking for the abortion debate it is not in this thread. What i am looking for is a discussion about the millions of missing girls and the implications that has on the future. The immediate consequence is obvious: less women = less families = less children but what about further consequences? not just to the nation but to the world. Surely it is a dire situation that needs rectifying but how if such gender bias exists so deeply entrenched in supersition and cultural norms?
*even asian migrant populations in westernised countries experience the 'missing girls' syndrome too.
Last word:
my parents once told me, "When we wanted a family, we never hoped for a boy or a girl. we just hoped for a healthy child."
Articles of interest:
With 1-child policy, China 'missing girls'
China faces growing gender imbalance
The Daughter Deficit
China's gender imbalance 'likely to get worse'
China grapples with legacy of its 'missing girls'
Gender Imbalance in India
While the reason for this gender bias exists in deep tradition, newer technologies and techniques have exorbated this problem along side population control legislation (as the one child policy in China). Most of these 'missing' girls are girls who were aborted, killed in infancy or neglected to the point of death.
While one could assume that the less educated or less wealthy a family was, the stronger the bias would tend toward males - however this has not been the case. In India (to my best knowledge does not have a population control legislation) it is noticed that gender bias towards males are more prevalent in richer, more well off families. Education and wealth thus does not seem to be the solution to the removal of gender bias as once thought. However, in wealthier families, the overall family unit is smaller than that found in rural areas so the same pressures on a woman in a well off family is the same as a woman in a poor family. The only thing is that she has a smaller family and so pressure to have a son is greater.
(Anaolgy: you can keep flipping a coin for a head and the laws of probability dictate that you will get a head if you flip to infinity. But if you have a restriction and must get a head in three flips the pressure is on - even if you have to cheat and bias the coin.)
While this socio-economic pressure is not seen in China - the same restriction applies as dictated by the one child policy. However it seems that while the gender imbalance is still skewed in cities it is not as sever as in some provinces, which could point to education and wealth playing a part in lightening the gender bias. It has to be noted that there are exemptions from the one child policy and while some may argue that the gender imbalance does not exist in the eldest children, there is definately a more sever gender imbalance bias towards males in subsequent births.
This is not an abortion debate, if you are looking for the abortion debate it is not in this thread. What i am looking for is a discussion about the millions of missing girls and the implications that has on the future. The immediate consequence is obvious: less women = less families = less children but what about further consequences? not just to the nation but to the world. Surely it is a dire situation that needs rectifying but how if such gender bias exists so deeply entrenched in supersition and cultural norms?
*even asian migrant populations in westernised countries experience the 'missing girls' syndrome too.
Last word:
my parents once told me, "When we wanted a family, we never hoped for a boy or a girl. we just hoped for a healthy child."
Articles of interest:
With 1-child policy, China 'missing girls'
China faces growing gender imbalance
The Daughter Deficit
China's gender imbalance 'likely to get worse'
China grapples with legacy of its 'missing girls'
Gender Imbalance in India