Consequences of the Gender Imbalance in China

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Because gender imbalance in China has become a serious issue, many Chinese people had begun to prefer girl babies instead of boy babies. This change in preference has completely overturned the traditional Chinese view that having sons is always the top priority in a family because they pass on the family name and watch over their parents as they age (Firth). In addition, since the One-Child Policy was established, parents are limited to only one child inside a family, with the exception for rural villagers to have a son if the first child is a daughter, noting the . Combining the cultural preference for sons and the One-Child Policy, the population of female declines dramatically as time goes by. Realizing the importance of women due to their shortage, parents begin to desire daughters instead of sons. Furthermore, because they recognize the severe consequences that the gender imbalance brings and will lead to, the Chinese government finally decides to ease the One-Child Policy. While gender imbalance in China grows problematic due to the shortage of wives and women trafficking, females become more valuable and their value is being reflected through women workforce and education.
With the existing traditional preference for baby boys, the One-Child Policy also contributes to the problem of growing gender imbalance. Especially in rural villages, men are more preferable not only because they carry on the family line, but they also are physically stronger and are expected to provide for their parents in old age. “It’s clear to me that having two x chromosomes is being processed in this culture as akin to having the most severe type of birth defect and you would be better off not carrying that pregnancy to term,” Valerie M. Hudson, a...

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Wen, Tiffanie. “As China’s One-Child Policy Relaxes, Girls Children no Longer Stigmatized.” (2014): n. page. Sun. 16 Feb. 2014

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