Women's Vulnerability and State Responsibility in China's Family-Planning Policy

Abstract

Women’s fertility vulnerability is a pervasive social issue that requires efforts from multiple government departments and social groups to solve. However, China has traditionally focused on the reproduction function of the family and marginalized women's reproductive autonomy and related rights. Based on the overview of the existing literature, we have a better understanding of the fertility experience of Chinese women when facing the fertility policy, focusing on their continued harm, neglect and vulnerability during the process of changes in the fertility policy. The vulnerability of Chinese women to fertility is caused by women’s socio-economic status, the concept of marriage and childbirth in society, the control of the family planning policy. We suggest the amendment of the family-planning policy should be accompanied by a series of arrangements for family support, such as establishing a reproduction-friendly environment, promoting social gender consciousness in all aspects, reducing women's household burden, and actively eliminating gender discrimination in the workplace.

Keywords: family planning, women, vulnerability, civil law, family support

DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/110-09

Publication date:June 30^th 2021