India S Family Planning Policy

POPULATION

O ne Child Policy China Why? Impact?  1980- China’s population was over 1000  Quite successful in cities million and growing fast  80% of popn. are peasant farmers who  Widespread famine and poverty want children to help with the work and when they get old, so less successful in countryside How? Results?  Families criticized and fined for more  Boy babies have been valued more highly children and cases of infanticide of girls have been  Free education, family allowances, and well documented pension benefits for 1 child; none if 2  Imbalance of popn. Millions more boys children than girls  Couples must have permission to marry  Nation of spoilt ‘only’children and to have children  Sterilisation encouraged after 1 child e.g. to get a job  In some places forced abortions and sterilisations have been reported

India’s Family planning policy Why? Impact?  Long history of family planning but made  Natural increase has declined but more more aggressive after growth rate started to slowly than Govt. targets grow rapidly in 1960s  Expected to continue to decline  Aimed to reduce popn. growth rate from 45 per ‘000 to 25  Part of aim to reduce poverty

How? Results?  Sterilisation campaign in 1970s but this  Best results in areas of good education was discredited especially for women such as Kerala.  In 1980s family planning was promoted  Low status of women in many parts of through primary health care centres which society has made it difficult to make were built throughout India change  Local projects in some states promoting  Infanticide of girls has been recorded since women’s groups to discuss and increase boys are highly valued to carry on family family planning and to store and distribute name contraception.  Most families want at least 2 boys and only then consider contraception especially in rural areas where boys can help on the land and when parents get older  Cultural change is needed to get radical change in birth rate