China is globally renowned for its relentless efforts to reduce its population growth through its infamous one-child policy for married couples and the requirement to acquire a family planning certificate. This policy was introduced in 1979 and was only abandoned for a two-child policy in 2016 (Fifield, 2020). Thus, the one-child policy was effective for 37 years, although population growth control in China is continuous.
China has made significant efforts and progress in improving the educational opportunities for its women. For example, the Chinese government has not only enacted laws that make girls’ education compulsory but also collaborates with non-profit organizations to address existing gaps, especially within rural populations (Martin, 2018). Consequently, education is more accessible to girls according to recent trends in which, at 51.4%, female college students comprise more than half of the entire university student population (Martin, 2018). Therefore, the one-child policy coupled with improved education opportunities for women has been a major pillar of China’s population control endeavors.
Increased educational opportunities for women have been a major factor in elevating their socio-economic status. Vanham (2018) reports that more than half of the Chinese gross domestic product (GDP) is attributable to women—mostly single and well-educated. These women are described as being at the higher tiers of the ‘self-actualization pyramid’ regarding their economic status, but aspersions over their social status arise owing to their unmarried status (Vanham, 2018). Nonetheless, their immense contribution to the country’s economy cannot be overlooked. It necessarily follows that education enables women to make meaningful contributions to the economy through viable income generation activities that are critical to the eradication of poverty. Hence, it is indisputable that better access to education has translated to the improvement of the social and economic status of Chinese women.
References
Martin, E. (2018). Girls’ education in China more accessible than ever. Web.
The Washington Post. (2019). Beijing’s one-child policy is gone. But many Chinese are still reluctant to have more. Web.
Vanham, P. (2018). Women in China contribute more to GDP than in the US – viewing them as “leftover” is problematic. World Economic Forum. Web.