Description

The gender imbalance problem emerged in China in the early 1980s, and diffused and exacerbated in the 1990s. Since 2000, high sex ratio at birth has been fluctuating at a very high level around 120. Meanwhile, over the last three decades, China has experienced dramatic social change, including sustained low fertility, institutional reform, economic growth, technology progress and social structural change, which may have impacted the evolution of gender imbalance as well. The government has also taken crucial policy measures such as the national “Care for Girls” campaign to contain gender imbalance and address its consequences. This talk will examine how demographic transition, social change and public governance interact to drive the evolution of gender imbalance in China. The talk first describes recent trends and patterns in gender imbalance in China and reviews the current knowledge and debates about causes of gender imbalance and its social consequences. It then summarizes public policies and social responses to address these issues in China, focusing on national “Care for Girls” campaign and its impact. The talk will also present a framework to analyze the social change, public governance and gender imbalance evolution, as well as empirical findings. Finally, the talk will discuss prospects for China’s gender imbalance in future.

Shuzhuo Li is a Professor at the Institute for Population and Development Studies, School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China. He received his Ph.D. from Xi’an Jiaotong University. His research interests include mortality analysis, gender and child survival, and reproductive health in China.