The horrors of China’s one-child policy

Not all women are ‘lucky’ enough to get a husband as some are sent to brothels where they become forever unknown.

Faiza Iqbal April 24, 2016
China’s famous one-child policy was meant to be used as a mechanism to control a heaving population, even though it drew much criticism for the draconian method in which it was enforced.

Add to the mix a cultural reliance on men being breadwinners and women being a burden on families and, soon enough, a gender imbalance of grotesque proportions started to emerge.The overly populated male population led to the relaxing of the rules by the Chinese government which now allows two children per couple. However, this hasn’t alleviated the problems being faced by a large, male population. There are reports of whole villages being populated by men and women just ‘disappearing’ from view.

Since eligible females are scarce, the ones who are present to choose a husband are extremely picky and are obviously going to choose those men who will be financially independent and very well-educated. Adding to the list of woes are the expenses of marrying (which I am sure any Pakistani can relate to as well) and you have a sizeable portion of the male population that is existing without female companionship. This has led to a very unhealthy trade arising on the border of China and Vietnam.

Reports have emerged of girls being drugged, kidnapped and trafficked from Vietnam into China as unwilling wives to hordes of Chinese men. The men are willing to pay a hefty sum to traffic the women in and keep them as their wives but the women are unwilling participants. Some of these women are beaten if they don’t agree to marry their chosen husbands, while others, after marrying and becoming mothers, return to Vietnam leaving behind their children considering it to be the lesser of the two evils. It has taken the work of charities and local police work to try and curb the flow but not all arrangements are helping as some women get pushed further into mainland China or are simply unaware of where they are present in China to seek help.

Not all women are ‘lucky’ enough to get a husband as some are sent to brothels where they become forever unknown and even more difficult to locate. Vietnamese and Chinese people have similar cultures as well further adding fuel to illegal trafficking.

The skewed gender ratio that is prevalent in Chinese society is something that exists in India as well and is seen as a huge problem. Pakistani culture also places a huge emphasis on male breadwinners and sees females as a burden because of dowry obligations. China’s one-child policy may have helped curb population, but it has done very little to change cultural perceptions of women. A drastic overhaul is needed to eradicate the views of women as being burdensome and trouble for their families for these kinds of businesses to stop thriving. If women are seen as a burden then men have no choice but to turn to the seedy world of prostitution to curb their desires, effectively promoting this business rather than stopping it.

The Chinese government realised far too late that female infanticide and gender imbalance has become a real problem. However, the hurried steps taken to stop this problem will eventually pay dividends. Let’s hope the whole South-East Asian region can stop viewing women with animosity and do whatever they can to support their birth and eventual assimilation into society. I have always maintained that it will be Pakistani women who will reduce Pakistan’s tarnished image globally and I have not been wrong. Examples like Sharmeen Obaid ChinoyMalala Yousufzai and Tasneem Zehra Husain shine brilliantly and prove my point that women, when given the chance to realise their dreams, can excel even further than any man possibly could.
WRITTEN BY:
Faiza Iqbal A law graduate from King's College, London Nottingham Law School. Having worked at Mandviwalla & Zafar as an Associate, she now writes freelance articles and is trying to qualify as a barrister in Canada.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (18)

Javid | 7 years ago | Reply In Pakistan we have an uncontrolled child policy. I would prefer to have Chinas economy and her one child policy. I am envious of China.
Kushal | 7 years ago | Reply Well in this case China is too far away, right?
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