Gender violence is a recurring issue we see cross culturally, especially in societies with a patriarchal background. Violence against women can be found both on the micro (i.e. close relationships) and macro level (i.e. institutions), however here we will be focusing on the macro, which is structural violence against women. In the book Violence and Culture: A Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary Approach by Jack Eller, the author defines structural violence as the social arrangements embedded in the political and economic aspect of one's society that puts those of a certain group (i.e. gender, class, race, etc.) in harm's way and may also benefit another. This essay will prove how there are commonalities in ideas of violence against women …show more content…
The “One Child Policy” was ended in 2016, but instead of it being abolished, it was replaced with the “Two-Child Policy”(Udayakumar, 2016). Nothing has really changed in regards to the violence that is committed among women despite that families in China are now able to have two children. Not only does this policy regulate women on how many children they should have, but it also has negative consequences if the woman ends up being pregnant with a third child. Women in China of childbearing age are to report for up to two ultrasound examinations every year (Udayakumar, 2016). Those who become pregnant with a third child are forced to have abortions, and the government would go as far as kidnapping and drugging these women in order to perform coerced abortions on them (Udayakumar, 2016). Additionally, those who do have a third child are fined up to ten times the annual average income (Udayakumar, 2016). These are all examples of structural violence towards women due to the fact that the Chinese government is implementing their control over women instead of regulating the men. The women are the ones who suffer the harsh consequences of bearing the third child. This also has a benefit toward the government due to the fact that they are receiving funds from families who bear a third …show more content…
Many know that women in these countries suffer from a significant amount of inequality, some of examples are them not being able to drive, not being able to go outside without a male companion, arranged marriages, and so forth. However, the most disturbing would be the moral prison that these women are sent to for ludacris reasonings. Human Rights Watch made a report on women and girls who are sent to these moral prisons which was four hundred in 2011 to six hundred in 2013. Some of them are sent there for inane reasons, such as premarital sex, being raped, attempted adultery, and so forth (Mahendru, 2017). Many of these women and girls have not done anything wrong, in fact some were victims of rape by family members or refused to marry a man, which lead them to these prisons due to the fact that it was the man's word over theirs. These are forms of structural violence where we can see how in this society, the men try to dominate the women, especially with their sexuality. The men also benefit from this by them being able to do what they want to women and
China’s one-child policy made it illegal for most Chinese couples to have more than one child. It was the culmination of the government’s long struggle to control population growth. The policy was enforced mainly through financial incentives and punishments, but in rural areas brutal enforcement techniques like non-consensual sterilization and abortion were sometimes used. While the policy did reduce the population, it also caused problems such as an unbalanced male-female sex ratio and “4:2:1 families.” The one-child policy shows that women in Communist China remained in a position of social and political inferiority.
Due to the one-child policy there are many serious human rights infractions. Since the policy has been in effect, there have been more than 400 million prevented births ("China:
With more than 1.3 billion people, China has to think about a solution and find ways to deal with its population explosion. In order to have control over population, in 1970, a policy named China’s One Child Policy was introduced. Mingliang argues that, “China, through the one-child policy, has instituted the most aggressive, comprehensive population policy in the world” (1). This policy limits all families in the Republic of China to have only one child, regardless of the sex: however, within this policy there are some exceptions. It is possible to have two children only if the first child is born with a disability, if parents work in a high risk job, if the couple lives in villages, or if the family is a non- Han, otherwise you are
China’s one-child policy has interesting origins. Although,” China’s fertility rate began to fall in the 1960’s, there was no national policy aiming for a population of smaller families until 1971. In 1979, “Wan Xi Shao”, a program that encouraged later marriage, longer birth intervals between births and fewer children is what evolved to the well-known “one-child policy”.”(Gilbert, 24) Under the one-child policy, couples are given incentives to have a single child. Couples who pledge to have a single child receive monthly allowances for child support until the child reaches the age of fourteen. “Along with the money received monthly, they are promised more spacious housing and higher pensions for retirement”(Gilbert, 24). However, for
China is the world’s most populated country with the population of 1.3 billion people. Since there were so many people in China they had to think about a way to control population so this is where the one-child policy was made. It officially restricts married, urban couples to having only one child, while allowing exemptions for several cases, including twins. This policy was introduced in 1978 and initially applied to first-born children from 1979. The policy is enforced at the local level through fines that are imposed based on the income of the family and other factors.
One child policy gained a lot of critique and controversy during its implementation, especially for the issue of human rights abuse. The human rights abuse that happen during one child policy is referred to the women’s right. China says the one child policy that run more than 30 years has helped to reduce the population by more than 400 million people. However, critics are come from the international during the one child policy, China has been extensively criticized for forcing women to have abortions, sterilized, babies trafficking and give a punishment to those who disobey the rule as part of the policy. Moreover, there are wide reports about female baby infanticide by parents who want a son. Instead of bring a ‘pros’, one child policy of China is not only make the problems in the domestic area such as
Most females are not respected and are heavily pressured by their parents. Many Chinese women are expected to be in arranged marriages and are not respected in their family or the work-place. Woman that aren’t even born yet suffer from infanticide. If the parents came to find that they were having a girl from ultrasound- they would abort that child and try for a boy causing pre-birth ultrasounds to be banned. “Negative social consequences, particularly sex discrimination. With boys being viewed as culturally preferable, the practice of female infanticide was resumed in some areas shortly after the one-child policy took effect.” (Document E) “I hate to say it but the one-child policy should party be blamed for some social issues in youth today.” “She wished she has a brother or sister to share all the attention.” (Document F) This evidence supports the claim that the one-child policy was a bad policy because women have always been culturally no preferable, causing unborn females to be aborted.
Another negative effect of gender inequality is the increased fear of violence for women. Women are often portrayed as weak and helpless beings that can easily be taken advantage of. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon states that, “Violence against women and girls continues unabated in every continent, country and culture. It takes a devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families and on society as a whole. Most societies prohibit such violence –yet the reality is that too often, it is covered up or tacitly condoned” (Unite to End Violence Againist Women, 2006). Violence against women in the form of rape, spousal abuse, child abuse or spousal killing has become routine behavior over the years, so it rarely even makes the news anymore. “Women aged 15-44 are more at risk from rape and domestic violence than from cancer, motor accidents, war and malaria, according to World Bank data”( Unite to End Violence Againist Women, 2006). Women are often blamed and questioned about their actions if they become the
There has been a long history of China’s one child policy, since it was first introduces in 1979 by a Chinese Leader Deng Xiaoping (Rosenberg n.p). The law was meant to be temporary and used to control the population; however it is still in use today (Rosenberg n.p). When the policy was first enforced, it only
For many decades, women have experienced all forms of oppression and constant violence that threatened their existence in the male-dominated society. Various forms of discrimination and oppression have been directed to women for decades. Violence directed at women such as rape and battery were seen and treated as isolated scenarios. However, as the need to foster gender equality took pace, such oppressive actions are now perceived as elements of a wider system of dominance in the society that that needs to be addressed as a whole rather than in singularity
Since 1980, China has made its people the subject of an intrusive and unfair, One Child Policy. This policy was the result of Chinese officials becoming worried of the countries jump in population from 1960 to 1980 causing a widespread lack of resources, so they decided to induct a law that would make force Chinese citizens to be limited to one child. Because of this controversial policy the question has been raised, did the one child policy positively or negatively effect China? The one child policy did negatively effect China and its people, because it resulted in gender discrimination, unjust punishments and was unnecessary due to the already declining fertility rate.
Due to ethnic and religious conflicts around the world, many women and girls are left with physical scars and emotional anguish that serve as a reminder of the agony they experienced when receiving violent punishments. These acts of violence, which are viewed as an infringement of their human rights, are given as social punishments for, seemingly, minor infractions. This, unfortunately, is the circumstance many women face, as described by author Mary H. Cooper in the article, “Women and Human Rights”. The author’s purpose is to analyze whether or not the global anti-violence campaign is succeeding. Because Cooper’s knowledge of international governmental actions, she eloquently analyzes the successes and failures of the anti-violence campaign and its effectiveness in countries around the world. Cooper often uses powerful and influential language to leave an eye-opening and lasting impression on its reader. Although Cooper’s use of powerful firsthand accounts of female inequality acts as substantial evidence supporting her purpose, the article is filled with an underlying bias; the author pushes solely for the increase in human rights for women, but fails to acknowledge the rest of the population, as well as providing cultural information that is no longer relevant due to the age of the article.
For years, the One-Child Policy were unevenly and unfairly challenged the female’s reproductive right. During the One-Child Policy, with the limitation for only one child, in some cases, women feel that their reproductive organs are owned by the country, as they no longer have sovereignty over their bodies (Jaffery). Under the One-Child Policy, the Chinese government implement many methods to regulate fertility, including forced abortions on women who become pregnant with a second child, sterilization to prevent accidental pregnancies and the threat of heavy fine and unemployment. Some of the methods make women think they have no choice on how many babies they want and their fertility are remain under the control of the government. According
As Americans, living in a egotistical and self centered society, we often think that we are the best, the top 1 percent in every aspect. However, When compared to other countries of the world, America is ranked 14th in education, 44th in health care efficiency, and 101th in peace. But it ranks first in incarceration, 2nd in ignorance, and 3rd in global competitiveness. One can see how the rankings that America is top in are those that promote violence in one way or another. In the book Violence and Culture: A Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary Approach by Jack David Eller, the author discusses violence in American society in one of his chapters. In this chapter, he mentions some social characteristics that represents and plays a role in
For more than three decades, the Chinese government has forbidden women from having more than one child. The one-child policy requires women to have a permit to have a child, and without the permit, they are required to abort the fetus or kill or abandon the infant after birth. The government will punish those who do not comply as they are still obligated to undergo the procedures. The government's relentlessness to control the population makes women helpless when it comes to protecting themselves and their babies from this sort of state-sponsored abuse as they have no legal standing.