After years of encouraging reproduction, in 1979 the Chinese government instigated a policy known today as the one-child policy. The policy has been praised as effective for making sure that China will be able to continue to support its large population. But it is also reviled because of human rights abuses and female infanticide. The one-child policy was adopted in an attempt to combat the widespread poverty that was caused by the overpopulation of the country and to improve the overall quality of life. I believe that the one child policy is unsuccessful.
The one child policy has led to extensive human rights violations and sexual discrimination. Male children are preferred to female children because they carry the family name. As a result, female infanticide has increased. Abortions are also forced on women who are visibly pregnant with their second child. This also includes late term abortions. The records show that there have been mass sterilisations in the rural areas as well. In addition to the human rights and sexual discrimination, there have been reports that the Chinese government has failed to consider the long term effects the policy has on the country. For example, the ratio of Chinese males to Chinese females is 117 for every 100 females. Others have also put this ratio as high as 131 to 100 but the average ratio is about 105 males for every 100 females. What will happen when the extra males run out of females to marry? There is also the problem of the so-called "little emperors" who are little children who are spoiled since they are the only child and their parents and grandparents have fewer people to look after. Some studies have concluded that these children are less interested in tradition then their elders. The Chinese government has been forced to start parenting classes to try and deal with this issue.
There are also others who support the one-child policy.
