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Boys Vs. Girls in China — Not a Game

One of my students, who I will call April, came from a far away province to find a job in my city when she was sixteen years old. “My parents hated me because I was a girl,” she explained to me in broken English. She recounted to me how her grandmother had tried to abandon her because she had been so disappointed that April was a girl. Apparently, the hatred never died and April left home as soon as she was sure that she could support herself.

April’s story is all too common in a country where childhood is a hauting memory for millions of girls. Her experience is directly related to a nearly 30-year-old Communist policy that is still in effect today. In 1979, the Communist Government instituted its one child policy within the majority Han Chinese ethnicity which was designed to correct what was perceived as an overpopulation problem in China. In the early years, the policy was strictly enforced and there were widespread reports of forced abortions as well as intense pressure from the local government. People also lost their jobs as was recounted to me by one of my good friends. She explained to me that when she was born, her mother lost a very good job with the Communist government and was blacklisted from ever finding employment again. She had to start her own business, which thankfully, was made possible by changes in the ruling party’s economic policies.   

Thus the innocent question of “would you rather have a boy or a girl” turned into a far more serious contemplation for many Chinese families.  As has happened in countless other world cultures, the birth of a baby boy became highly prized while bringing a female baby into the world was considered to be weak and risky. But the thinking on sex preference in China was not just based on the centuries old view that men were better and smarter than women. Poverty was widespread throughout the country as a result of a weak and restricted economy and many parents realized that a male child would have a much higher chance of succeeding in the harsh era. There were also selfish reasons as well that played a part in the thinking. During these bleak economic times in China, there was not much hope in the forecast. Parents were concerned for their  futures in old age and they were worried that a female would not be able to take care of them.

These attitudes spelled tragedy for the female sex in China. Selective abortions, infanticide, abandonment, and ill treatment often accompanied the obsession to bring males into the world. For many having  son was an honorable event; having a female was a social gamble that many were not willing to make.  And abuse was not just limited to the child. Many mothers who gave birth to female babies were also castigated and viewed as unfit.

I chose to write the preceding paragraphs in the past tense because my Chinese friends would have you believe that these social attitudes have changed in China. I, for one, however, am not convinced. My Chinese friends point out that forced abortions have been ‘reportedly’ replaced with heavy fines as a consequence for non-compliance with the One-Child law.  The fines, however, are much more than the average person could afford in a year. And what happens if you do not pay the fine? No one can seem to answer that. question. My friends have also explained to me that new rules allow couples to have two childrenif they meet certain requirements. One of these requirements has to do with whether or not the husband or the wife had brothers or sisters themselves. Another requirement involves the length time that you have been married for. I always tell my friends that I fail to see how either of these changes would effect the way that the birth of females are viewed in Chinese society

No matter what the policy dictates now or no matter how wealthy and advanced Chinese society has become, the negative attitudes towards the female sex has by no means vanished from the Chinese social scene. The attitude that women are inferior in China is even evident in my adult English classes. Men routinely make statements about women that would be repudiated in the West. In my class, the women just sit there and shake there heads or giggle. I suppose that they are used to it.

Some of my female students such as April for example, explain to me that even after they has started earning their own livings, the resentment towards them from their families is still strong. The disappointment of having not given birth to a boy apparently still lingers. I can only imagine how this treatment has damaged these girls’ hope for a happy future and a loving marriage.

It estimated that over 300 million births have been prevented in China since 1979. For some that is a reason to applaud. China has even made many environmentalists happy by proclaiming that their One-Child policy has helped fight global warming. But can we hold our applause for a moment? Can we cease with the congratulatory hand shaking and ‘pats on the back?’ What are the true consequences of this tremendous family planning policy? Has it saved the world or has it crushed the life and the spirits out of millions of young Chinese girls? It is a question worth asking. But few are willing to answer.

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