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China’s Generation Without Women

Written by Alice Poon

Tuesday, 25 March 2008

Beijing's one-child policy resulted in a demographic powder keg

Related Story: A One-Child Daughter of China

Boys standing over a sign promoting the one-child policy in Hong Tang Village, Fujian

photo by Derrick Chang

China’s gender imbalance, the result of the one-child policy implemented in 1979, is creating a social time bomb that may threaten the already feeble status of women, who are already losing ground. While attention is focused on disturbing problems like social instability and rising crime resulting from the gender imbalance, people appear to be forgetting the gross injustice that women have long suffered, injustice that is growing both despite and because of their shrinking numbers.

In 2005, the mainland China sex ratio at birth stood at 118 males to 100 females, having already increased from 108:100 in 1981 to 111:100 in 1990. It is substantially above the natural baseline which ranges from 103:100 to 107:100. By the year 2020, there will be 30 million more men than women, according to a report by the State Population and Family Planning Commission.

The social implications are disturbing. A recent media report says that based on a Statistics Canada survey, the rate of robbery offenses for women is just 13 out of every 100,000, versus 110 for men. The same survey shows that men are seven to 10 times more likely to commit serious crimes, including robbery, homicide, sexual assault and car theft, and that women are less likely than men to re-offend or escalate their crimes.

If those figures hold true in China, visitors in 2020 may find a generation warped by a huge gender imbalance, raising questions about what one does with a society where one man in five cannot find a wife. That question appears to highlight Chinese leaders’ concerns about the one-child policy creating a demographic time bomb.

A 2006 study conducted by Therese Hesketh of the Institute of Child Health at University College London and Zhu Wei Xing of China’s Zhejiang Normal University for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that 94 percent of all unmarried people in China aged between 28 and 49 are males, and that 97 percent of them have not completed high school. Some critics have predicted that the phenomenon of a growing number of young men in lower echelons of society who are marginalized and who have little outlet for sexual energy will lead to higher levels of anti-social behavior and violence.

Other studies have concluded that there is a clear link between sex ratios and violence as a whole and not only violence against women. Young male migrants are thought to be responsible for a disproportionate amount of urban crime, especially violent crime. It is reported that migrants account for 50 percent of criminal cases in the major receiving cities of migrants. The authors also point out that when single young men congregate, there is increased potential for organized aggression.

The study also speculates that as the number of females decreases, their social status may rise as a result. But it is also quick to point out that men, rather than women themselves, are the ones to benefit from women’s enhanced value, as men are still masters or custodians of women in some societies, like the rural communities in China. This may explain incidents of kidnapping and trafficking in women in those communities.

From the above study, it can be said that Chinese society is facing or about to face a period of unprecedented male aggression, which would likely render women as victims and women’s status even more precarious and vulnerable to subjugation.

But what has caused this gender imbalance in the first place? The proximate cause, of course, is China’s one-child policy, which has been in effect since 1979 and which was meant to alleviate overpopulation but which had the unfortunate side effect of skewing the sex ratio by inducing illegal sex-selective abortions, although there is no conclusive evidence suggesting that the sex ratio disparity is a direct result of the policy.

The ultimate cause is the traditional cultural preference of sons over daughters. Sons are considered more valuable for their higher wage-earning capacity, especially in agrarian societies, and they can continue the family line, while daughters are looked upon as economic burdens.

This archaic son-preference mentality is the reason for sex-selective abortions, female infanticide and abandoned girls across China. Spurred by the one-child policy, it may also explain the estimated figure of 34 million to 41 million missing females in the country, according to a 2001 survey mentioned in Hesketh’s and Zhu’s study.

Directly or not, the one-child policy precipitated the huge gender imbalance. Ending a faulty policy (or the faulty execution of that policy) may not be as hard as changing society’s backward and prejudiced attitudes about women and the reluctance to protect women’s basic human rights. If male aggression seems to be on the horizon, there is all the more reason for promoting and guaranteeing the safety, welfare and rights of females.

Simultaneous with the ending of the one-child policy, the Chinese government must promote equal social and economic rights for men and women and educate rural communities about women’s basic rights to survive and to receive education and health care. Now that China is a major world economic player, the country has no reason to shun its responsibility to uphold women’s rights.

When French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir was interviewed in 1976 about her seminal book “The Second Sex” (published in 1951), she said there was a chance that equal rights for women could be achieved in four generations’ time. If 20 years make a generation, that ideal social situation would arrive around 2056 based on her estimate. If prompt action is taken now, Beauvoir’s prediction may still stand a chance of being realized in China.

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What do you want to say?
written by Man, March 25, 2008

Hello,

after reading your article, I don't understand what are you trying to say? Do you want to say "men are bad and women are good"

and why did u keep picking statistics that showed men are bad guys?? "e.g. Other studies have concluded that there is a clear link between sex ratios and violence as a whole and not only violence against women. Young male migrants are thought to be responsible for a disproportionate amount of urban crime, especially violent crime..."

Why don't you say something like, "many inventions such as Computers, rockets, Internet, Cars, Airplanes, Light bulbs, papers, birth control pills, telephone, cellular phone, vaccinations, etc." are all "MEN" inventions? and what were the "females" doing then during the past decades?? So please, I would appreciate that you show some respects to men as well as women in the world's society today.

-3

...
written by W.N., March 25, 2008

I think the above comment was just having fun provoking the others. What were the "females" doing then during the past decades? Actually for the many centuries, women were busy giving births and raising men well enough to be able to make something like computers, rockets, Internet, Cars, Airplanes, Light bulbs, papers, birth control pills, telephone, cellular phone, vaccinations, etc. to make their (women's) lives more comfortable. ;-)

Reply to: ... : W.N. and author Alice Poon
written by Man, March 25, 2008

Sure, Men did invent lots of goodies like planes, microwaves, cars, tires, engines, windmills, clock, satellites, telephones, etc. to make women lives more comfortable... but today, many women attack men in all cylinders like some people pick all sorts of stats to prove men are wrong, not intelligent, etc. Sorry, I couldn't accept that sorts of opinions.

-1

Marry. Don\'t Pimp
written by Todd H., March 26, 2008

It seems to be common knowledge that Asia has the largest concentration of prostitutes than any other geographical region on the planet. Why not encourage men to marry these women and take care of them, rather then use them as an income source?!? Maybe the culture is more concerned with becoming wealthy than human worth - something that must be dealt with by this new generation.

I suspect Chinese men will begin to venture beyond the borders of China in search fortune and at the beckoning of their hearts; much like Americans did as they moved west and south in step with their hearts and in search of fortunes. Perhaps China will one day re-unite all the tiny breakaway nations like Korea, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Mongolia. The power of the Yuan could be a strong start.

I read your article and must wonder...
written by Tam YS, March 26, 2008

Dear Asia Sentinal,
I read your article and must wonder if your research is accurate. As far as i know, and from reliable feedback from friends, I think most of the Chinese ladies you find "missing" from the mainland have been found in Malaysia, in towns like Tanjong Sepat, Taiping, Sitiawan, Labis, and in the thousands of Karaokes in Subang jaya and Puchong. Most of them are here on Social passes, and I am sure they have contributed hugely to the social needs of Malaysians, but I think they should be included in your count, so as not to overly excite the Chinese Authorities, who may drastically change the one child policy to "anything goes".....

China is World No. 1
written by bad china, March 28, 2008

China is World No. 1 exporter of prositutes.
One can easily find china prositutes any where in the world.....and 20% to 25% never make it back or wanted to be backed to China again.
That's the main reason why the male-female equation is skewed so badly in favor of boys.

China full of eunuchs
written by Great China, number one in exp, March 28, 2008

To be more specific, it should report as follow

"In 2005, the mainland China sex ratio at birth stood at 118 males(including eunuchs and gays) to 100 females"

in order not to overly excite the Chinese Authorities, who may drastically change the one child policy.

No need for women, Lowly rated comment [Show]

Overseas brides
written by Bushwhacker, April 18, 2008

Thailand, Vietnam, Philipine, Russia, Kazahkstan, East Europe generally have high ratio of women to man. So government must think creatively and let foreign brides to come

Ummm
written by Annoyed, April 18, 2008

What are you BOTH trying to say? It sounds like a feminist and a sexinst having and argument!

-1

WOMAN INVENT THINGS TO
written by FUCK ALL U SEXIST MEN, March 16, 2009

woman are just as smart as men and dont u dare say there anrt. THIS ARTICLE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MEN OR WOMAN BEING BETTER ITS TELLING U THAT IN CHAINA THRE ARE MORE MEN THAN WOMAN AND IF THEY DONT DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT THEN THERE WONT BE ANY WIFES 4 PRESIOUS MEN. ARE U TOTALLY SEXIST MAN MR No need for women, O HELL YER CAZ MEN WANNA KILL ALL WOMAN SO THEY CAN f**k EACH OTHER AND GET AIDS( BTW IM NOT SAYING ANYTHING MEAN TO GAY MEN THERE AWSOME AND USUALLY NEVA SEXIST)
GET A LIFE

Reaction to Overseas Brides
written by Anon., January 03, 2010

=Thailand, Vietnam, Philipine, Russia, Kazahkstan, East Europe generally have high ratio of women to man. So government must think creatively and let foreign brides to come=

Foreign brides are already coming to Chinese men "desperate" for wives: through human trafficking. Pretty sure that was not what you meant.

Also, to the comment that "men were doing all the inventions of cell phones, etc." you have to factor in that women weren't allowed to invent, and even if they did they had to submit under a male penname. And while women are just as smart as men, as "f**k ALL U SEXIST MEN" says, I also feel that their concerns have laid elsewhere besides inventing things that supposedly make life easier, such as, oh, everything from fighting for women's/other minorities' rights to plain just trying to win bread for the table by working three jobs? Not much room there for inventing what is essentially stuff, methinks.