Son+Preference+in+China

Son Preference People of China prefer boys over girls because by tradition, the boy carries on the family line and in the country the boy takes care of the farm and also takes care of his parents. Currently the boy-girl ratio is 119 baby boys to 100 girls compared to the normal rate of 107 boys per 100 girls. Girls are usually mistreated and sometimes don't get the proper nutrition. While usually girls or w omen live longer, in China the death rate of girls is double the boys respectively to their age. With the one-child rule the government shows preference towards boys. Because of this strong preference, pregnant mothers use today's technology to find early in their pregnancy the gender. If they find it is a girl they either hide her or most of the time have an abortion. Although gender and selective abortions are illegal, a law cannot stop this from happening completely.

Adoption There are many girls up for adoption in China mostly because they are considered not as important as boys. China is the number one country issuing adoptions. 91% of children adopted are girls, 44% are under the age of one, and 52% are between the age of one and four. But the average age is 11 months to adopt. As you can see from the graph Jiangsu has the most adoptions. One child who was adopted was found with a note that said, "In our countryside, the thought of a man is more important than a woman is very popular. I don't have the strength to overthrow it." This shows that women also don't have much power and voice in China.

For more information on adoption and son preference visit these sites... [|Traditional Son Preference] [|China Adoption] [|Lost Girls of China] [|Adoption]

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