China’s One-Child Policy
The One-Child Policy was a population planning initiative implemented in China between 1979 and 2015. The policy was enacted to address the growth rate of the country’s population, which the government viewed as being too rapid.
Origins and Implementation
China’s family planning policies began to be shaped by fears of overpopulation in the 1970s. Officials raised the age of marriage and called for fewer and more broadly spaced births. A near-universal one-child limit was imposed in 1980 and written into the country’s constitution in 1982.
Exceptions and Changes Over Time
Numerous exceptions were established over time, and by 1984, only about 35.4% of the population was subject to the original restriction of the policy. In the mid-1980s, rural parents were allowed to have a second child if the first was a daughter. It also allowed exceptions for some other groups, including ethnic minorities under 10 million people. In 2015, the government raised the limit to two children, and in May 2021 to three. In July 2021, it removed all limits.
Enforcement
Implementation of the policy was handled at the national level primarily by the National Population and Family Planning Commission and at the provincial and local level by specialized commissions. Officials used pervasive propaganda campaigns to promote the program and encourage compliance. The strictness with which it was enforced varied by period, region, and social status. In some cases, women were forced to use contraception, receive abortions, and undergo sterilization. Families who violated the policy faced large fines and other penalties.
ocial Effects
The population control program had wide-ranging social effects, particularly for Chinese women. Patriarchal attitudes and a cultural preference for sons led to the abandonment of unwanted infant girls, some of whom died and others of whom were adopted abroad. Over time, this skewed the country’s sex ratio toward men and created a generation of “missing women”. However, the policy also resulted in greater workforce participation by women who would otherwise have been occupied with childrearing, and some girls received greater familial investment in their education.
Economic Impact
The Chinese Communist Party credits the program with contributing to the country’s economic ascendancy and says that it prevented 400 million births. Some have also questioned whether the drop in birth rate was caused more by other factors unrelated to the policy.
Conclusion
The One-Child Policy was a significant chapter in China’s history, with profound social, cultural, and economic impacts. Its legacy continues to shape the nation’s demographic and social landscape even after its official end..
