THE HISTORY

The history of China’s population growth begins prior to the 1970’s. As Susan Greenhalgh (2003) states in her article “Science, Modernity, and the Making of China’s One-Child Policy” there is more behind the one-child policy than just population growth, “CHINA’S ONE-CHILD-PER-COUPLE POLICY represents an extraordinary attempt to engineer national wealth, power, and global standing by drastically breaking population growth” (p. 163). Representatives in China state that the policy has been successful in decreasing China’s rapid population progression. Yet, many people outside and in China believe that the human rights of many women and men have been violated. John Bongaarts (1985) demonstrates in the article “An Alternative to the One-Child Policy in China” that Mao Zedong employed a strategy which focused births to be spread out and promoted only two children per couple. Yet, when Zedong died in the year of 1976 Deng Xiaoping decided that the policies Zedong promoted were not enough and would push China behind in the knowledge gap. Some of those policies were laws that forced married couples to utilize birth control methods (p. 587). These methods did put a dent in the population growth rate. Yet, leaders still felt as if to reach their goals in innovation they must do more. Bongaarts (1985) goes on to explain that it was not until Chairman Hua Guofeng interjected his opinion, that China would never meet their goals, that the application of the One-Child Policy began to be enforced in 1979 (p. 587). Education and propaganda soon followed. And as always, with application came the problem of enforcement. Bongaarts (1985) describes how there were many types of enforcement and encouragement including: advertisement, fines, abortion, sterilization, and education (p. 587). It was these agendas of enforcement that caused the policy to harm others. People who did not listen to the policy would soon realize that they may have to face mass atrocities. Those who did listen to the policy would see that ahead there were unpleasant decisions that would have to be made.

With these atrocities consequences have also began to plague China. Some of those consequences are in the advertisements of the one-child policy. These advertisements rarely show Chinese girls, but instead show one boy. In the article “Potential Effects of the One-Child Policy on Gender Equality in the People's Republic of China” Lawrence K. Hong (1987) describes important holes in China’s policy, “[p]aramount among the concerns were that the one-child policy could jeopardize old-age security and induce female infanticide” (p. 318). Because it is the men who take care of their parents, girls are often not valued when parents determine their sex (after their birth). This not only has a strong effect on the killing and abandonment of girl babies, but it also has an effect on the population gender disparity. Ellen Keng (1997) states in her article “Population Control through the One-Child Policy in China; Its Effects on Women” that other consequences include, “violence against women” and “coercive and forceful measures used on women in implementing the One-Child Policy” (p. 208). Some of these atrocities include kidnapping, murder, rape, abuse, forced abortion, and forced sterilization. These atrocities have hurt not only the women physically, but also psychologically. These costs have large effects on China and its citizens.

Unfortunately, there are not many places women can turn to after facing such human right violations. Ellen Keng (1996) describes the lack of resources China has for women in her article Population Control through the One-Child Policy in China; Its Effects on Women. Keng outlines the lack of help in the system by stating that:

“[a]lthough sources such as LSIRW and the non-government endorsed Women’s Hot Line exist, their potential for effectiveness could be greatly enhanced if these sources addressed specific issues concerning women. These issues should include governmental enforcement policies of the present laws, instead of superficially declaring principles of equality between women and men” (p. 208).

This lack of resources only states the need for more aid and more help in dealing with these atrocities. More education and programs need to help in repairing the damage that has already caused so many hardships. Education also needs to be spread in order to attempt to put a stop to some of the inhumane acts against both women and children.