NEWS: China to Outlaw Gender Selective Abortions

The government of China is modifying its mandatory family planning. The new change will no longer allow for abortions on the basis of gender. This is being done to combat the widening gap between male and female newborns. Male children are preferred and female children are being aborted under the one child policy.



I�m not sure where to be outraged at this. While I am a supporter of a woman�s right to chose, I am appalled that they even allowed gender to be a selection choice for getting an abortion. The gender discrepancy will have to be addressed soon, or China will self limit its population based simply on the lack of females.

Originally posted by FredT
I�m not sure where to be outraged at this. The gender discrepancy will have to be addressed soon, or China will self limit its population based simply on the lack of females.

This situation has no clear-cut answer. As you say, FredT, the gender discrepancy must be addressed, but to do so would require widespread societal change. My concern is that when couples can no longer obtain gender-based abortions, more and more infant girls will be killed/abandoned/self-aborted.

Much as I hate the idea of abortion, I hate the idea of a beautiful, healthy newborn girl being drowned like an unwanted puppy even more.

Originally posted by FredT
I�m not sure where to be outraged at this. While I am a supporter of a woman�s right to chose, I am appalled that they even allowed gender to be a selection choice for getting an abortion. The gender discrepancy will have to be addressed soon, or China will self limit its population based simply on the lack of females.

And the reason for gender selection is the old and mistaken belief that daughters will be unable to care for their elderly parents once she marries because her husband will be looking after his parents!!! The dark ages still exist!

An friend of mine from Alberta told me that apparently there they will not tell parents of sex of a child during pregnancy because this practice of gender selection continues today with Chinese immigrants!

The gender selection really revolves around the cache of having a first born son. Carries on the name etc etc. My wife is Asian and some members of her family have gone to a fourth kid just to get that male child :shk:.

One relative, went so far as to berate his wife in OUR home at Christmas a few years back because "She" was unable to concieve a male child. I calmly at first attempted to explain that from a biological standpoint, the fault was all his. He did not take kindly to the lesson

Some 8 years ago, I met a friend who was 4 months pregnant in Shenzhen, China. I remember spending Christmas there. I met her again in April the next year and she was no longer with child. I congratulated her and enquired if it was a boy or a girl. She said that it was a girl but the baby was abprted BY THE STATE !

Apparently, she was in a club one night and the Public Security Bureau came in to do some random checks and found out that she already had a child, a girl, aged 3 years. Due to the 1 child policy, she was then handcuffed and taken back to some hospital and given an injection of some sort. The paid was excruciating and she aborted. Apparently, it did not go too well and she was bed-ridden for the next 2 weeks, sufering from infection etc....

3 years back, I was in Guangdong. I met a lady with 2 kids, heavily laden with another. I enquired about the 1 child policy and she told me that paying a fine would get around the problem and when delivering, all she needed to do was to go to another town or city. Money talks. Enforcement walks.

Now, this crap, worrying about gender selection. The Chinese are emerging as a powerhouse because of the sheer numbers. Next, they will be saying that you can have 2 children, as long as one of them is a girl.

from FredT
I�m not sure where to be outraged at this. While I am a supporter of a woman�s right to chose, I am appalled that they even allowed gender to be a selection choice for getting an abortion.

Fred

I am no expert on abortion, but it seems to me that today in America, a woman need not give any reason in order to obtain an abortion. This is just as bad or worse than aborting because of gender.

Of course, I could be all wrong on this also.

Re: dixon

Public Security Bureau? The mere name sounds oppressive!


[edit on 7-1-2005 by jsobecky]

No women do not need to provide an excuse as to why. I am an abortion supporter, however, if the choice is being made based just on its gender, then my support wanes.

No women do not need to provide an excuse as to why. I am an abortion supporter, however, if the choice is being made based just on its gender, then my support wanes.

Originally posted by dixonNext, they will be saying that you can have 2 children, as long as one of them is a girl.

Rural people are allowed this and the one child policy is only for the Han nationality. China has 55 ethic minorities and they are not subjected to the one child policy. I'm sorry but I don't agree with any of you who can't imagine what it is like to live in a country with 1.3 billion people. Take every person you see around you and times that by 5 if you live in USA...there would be too many people. A one child policy is not a happy thing but it sure is a necessity. Many bad things have come from this policy, but it has saved the state. They could have just murdered half of the population but they decided to limit the future population by a policy of one child, and yes they enforced it strictly in the past, but now, money talks enforcement walks is very true in china today.

FredT, I am not so sure what you have to be enraged about...you stated that the chinese people are 'allowed' to abort based on gender, well look in your own country, women are allowed to abort for any reason arn't they? It's the same in China, you can abort for what ever reason you want, china is pro-choice. Sadly too many people choose to abort because the man is more valued than the woman.

And if the choice is based on gender you support wanes?? So what other regulations do women have to subject their thinking and choices too so that you support their chiose to abort their baby?