Fertility Control and Its Effect on Chinese Women
Date
2011-09
Authors
Zhou, Yun
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Texas State University, Center for Diversity and Gender Studies
Abstract
Population policy, especially fertility control policy, has been vital for China in the past few decades. At the end of 1970s, due to the fast speed of population growth and eagerness of economic and social development, China started a unique population policy known as the "one-child policy". In this paper, we will explore the effects of the current fertility control policy on Chinese women. More specifically, the paper will explain the gains of Chinese women from the policy. According to our study, we find that women benefited from dissemination and promotion of contraceptive uses, at least when the policy was implemented in the earlier 1980s. Through methods of contraception, women were able to control fertility by themselves. By reducing number of children each woman has, a family accumulates more resources for children in the next generation, including female children. Due to the reduction in family members by fertility control, Chinese find more female or female-related relatives in their life. These changes will lead to a more harmonious society among human beings as well as between humans and nature.
Description
Keywords
China, fertility, population policies
Citation
Zhou, Y. (2011). Fertility control and its effect on Chinese women. <i>Journal of Research on Women and Gender, 2</i>(2), pp. 56-79.