WATERING THE NEIGHBOUR'S GARDEN: THE GROWING - CICRED

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LI S.–WEI Y.- JIANG Q. - M. W. FELDMAN
Each country has devoted considerable effort to the problem of
high sex ratio at birth. South Korea, India and Taiwan all forbid foetal
sex determination in any form (Shi, 2004). The South Korean government
passed a series of laws aimed at improving the rights of children
and women, improving women’s status, protecting women from gender
discrimination. Since the 1980s, prohibition of sex-selective abortion
was included in these laws. Use of the ultrasound B device to
determine the foetus’ sex would be financially punished or the the
operator’s medical license would be cancelled. In addition, the South
Korean government promoted a social environment that pays special
attention to girls and women. They also recognized the inequality in
status between men and women and took a series of intervention
measures (Shi, 2004). Following these legal actions, sex ratio at birth in
South Korea has declined gradually since the mid 1990s. In India,
because of the decreasing number of girls, the government produced a
new family planning policy that encourages giving birth to female
infants, and also introduced comprehensive programs to change the
social attitudes towards girls (Tian and Gao, 2004). Taiwan, which
shares with mainland China the same Confucian culture that values
males more than females, seriously punishes hospitals which practice
sex selection. It has also stipulated that female children before marriage
have the right to inherit the family property, and provides welfare for
the aged through public departments. Also the government provides
security for the elderly, and these polices have led to reduction in the
SRB since 2001 (CNP, 2004).
The Chinese government pays special attention to women’s legal
rights and interests, and emphasizes the economic development of
women and children. This is reflected in national laws and regulations
of the State Council concerning women’s economic and political
status, namely the right to receive education, to inherit family property,
laws concerning marriage and old-age support, etc. Laws such as Stipulation
of Labor of Woman Staff (nü zhigong laodong guiding) implemented in
1988, and Law Safeguarding Women’s Rights and Interests (funü quanyi baozhang
fa) in 1992, aim to protect women’s rights and interests, to promote
gender equality, and to protect women’s economic status. Political
rights is another important area of women’s social status, and the
Constitution in China has ensured both women and men have equal
rights to participate in national affairs, and to work as civil servants.
The Compulsory Education Law (yiwu jiaoyu fa) in 1986 stipulates that all
boys and girls of all nationalities and regions have the right to receive 9
years of compulsory education. The Law of Succession (jicheng fa) of 1985
stipulates that boys and girls share the same rights of succession. The
Marriage Laws of 1950, 1981 and 2001 also protect the legal rights and