What are the causes and impacts of changing gender structures?

What are the causes and impacts of changing gender structures?

1. India's missing millions

   • India's population approaching 1 billion
     • 2nd most populous after China
   • 1999 - Estimated 936 female per 1000 male
     • One of the lowest ratios in the world
       • Saudi Arabia 804: 1000
       • Britain 1036: 1000
     • Statistically unusual - on average more men than women die in India
   • India would need 32.9 million more women to meet the world average of 1002: 1000
   • Male children preferred
     • Girls often aborted but in few places. It is otherwise illegal
     • Girl's life expectancy much lower than boy's after birth
       • Likely due to girls receiving less food and less care than boys
       • Girls breastfed for shorter periods of time
       • Girls receive fewer medical consultations
       • Girls are emitted to hospital later than boys. If not at all
     • Within North India women are disadvantaged
       • Less freedom and choice
       • Less rights to inheritance and ownership
       • Less access to knowledge and expression of opinions in public via voting
       • Less decision making power within the family
   • Culture
     • Women forbidden to marry within their own villages in Northern Indo-gangetic Plain
       • Forced to leave parents at an early age
         • Cut off emotionally and economically
     • Female employment
       • Paid works helps raise female status + gives bargaining power
       • Working mothers can save money
         • Sons not necessarily required to look after mothers financially
   • Education
     • Statistically lower rate of child mortality with increase in female literacy
     • Better educated women less likely to want boys
       • More likely to utilise locally available medical facilities
         • Increases child life expectancy
   • Lower income families and lower casts less likely to discriminate against women
     • Also South India not as bad as North

2. China's 1 child policy

   • Application required for first child
   • Benefits given for only having 1 child
     • If 2nd child is had benefits are taken away and heavily fined
   • Planned to last 100 years
   • Easier to have more children in rural areas
     • 'Nanny police' in urban areas
   • Gender imbalance - 1:3 ratio
     • 'Little emperor syndrome'
       • single male children become spoiled, overweight and greedy
     • Has resulted in a shift in dependency
       • More dependent elderly than young
     • Increased divorce rate
     • Sex-selective abortions
       • Lots of girls aborted
         • Government is trying to stop this