Family Planning in Yunnan

In 1980 the One Child Policy (originally the One-Is-Enough campaign) was enforced and embraced. While the Chinese Government claims that it has slowed the population growth, its success in terms of of broader impacts has been hotly debated outside the country. Issues of infanticide, female orphans and gender imbalance are common knowledge, as are negative attitudes towards daughters. What is arising now, however, are a whole range of more subtle social changes.

Chinese children are often referred to as 'Little Emperors' (China Today, August 2005: 56) and with good reason. As a rule, their grandparents take care of them while their parents are out at work and there are usually 6 adults to one child, per household. In such circumstances it is easy for them to become spoilt. An infant is constantly with his or her parents. It sleeps and eats with them and when not asleep, is tied to its mother's or grandmother's back in a sling. A mother feeds her infant every time it cries (day or night) and chronically fatigued parents have said to us on occasion,"well you know, we can only have one child...".

According to China Today 32% of Chinese school children experience some kind of psychological problems as far more importance is placed on scholastic performance than a happy state of mind or good health. (There is also pressure on schools to rate hihgly in the 'league tables' (so teachers aren't punished) which means that children attend school from 7am to 10 pm.) Medical specialists say that the psychological problems stem from pressure exerted by parents, school, peers and society as a whole.

The Chinese Government announced early in 2006 that the One-Child Policy would be maintained in China. The exemptions to this include the self-employed (such as farmers), members of 'official' minority groups and certain other people living in rural areas (can't be more specific about that at the moment). Interestingly, during a recent homework exercise I asked students to write about what they would do if they were president of China. Many stated that they would ban childbirth altogether.

If a couple do have a second child the consequences are a fine and loss of job, if one works within a Dan Wei (Work Unit). This means loss of income, accommodation, status and further employment prospects. For the wealthy and/or self-employed the consequences are less significant.

So, how do Chinese couples manage to comply? Abstinence, sterilisation or other means of contraception? I have yet to find out although this may not be the easiest topic to broach. I'll let you know when I have more information!

Source from www.leafgovso.co.uk