Boys in Excess - Abnormal Sex Ratio in Asia

The One Child Policy have been regarded as one of the most important long-term policies in China for suppression and reduction of the population. With the common belief that the fast growing population results from son preference with limited access to contraception, China have been raising public awareness campaigns for years in the forms of slogans and posters both in urban and rural districts, in order to convey an equal attitude toward girls. Condom vending machines are widely distributed in major cities. The effects are far from perfection. With the advent of prenatal sex selection via, for instance, ultrasonic scanning in the 1980s, however, the son preference culture seem to achieve some reconcilement with the One Child Policy. Sex-selective abortions, as well as other factors such as discrimination in care practices for girls, have led to a new populational disorder, that is, abnormal sex ratios, in not only China, but also such neighboring countries as India, Pakistan, South Korea, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Iran. According to the Chinese fifth census conducted in 2000, the gender imbalance rate stands at 119.92 boys to 100 girls, compared with the normal rate of less of 106 boys to 100 girls.

In a recent essay published on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA (PNAS, 103, 13271-13275. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0602203103), the two authors - one of whom from the Department of Public Health, Zhejiang Normal University of China - provided detailed explanations and suggestions on the abnormal sex ratios particularly occurring in Asia, with special interest in the role of son preferential cultures among these countries. Based on sufficient census data and reports, the authors described the fact that son preference have a great impact on sex ratio as exemplified in China, South Korea and India. The case of China is unique because of the One Child Policy. Excess ratio of men in the population will lead to, confirmed the authors, increased threats to public and even national security, considering especially the possibility that the excess population of unmarried males will be of lower socioeconomic class and limited education because they may be left with no marriage prospects in the shortage of women in the marriage market. Some other implications or possibilities, although lacking evidences, are provided such as the expansion of sex industry and women trafficking. Positive aspects of the abnormal sex ratio, nevertheless, are also estimates as increased tolerance toward homosexuality and hence its openly expression, and rise of social status of woman which may increase wanted girls in new families and balance the sex ratio.

Solutions have been taken by some of the Asian countries in the forms of laws and public awareness campaigns, positive effect have successfully achieved in South Korea. Still the authors suggested that a free-of-charge health care system as well as equal opportunities and rights between sexes should be guaranteed in order to further balance the sex ratio and eventually lead toward normalization.