Retailers in central China's Henan Province are banned to sell abortion
drugs as of Jan. 1, 2007, as part of the province's efforts to keep
gender balance among newborns.
Those who violate the rule will have their illegal profits
confiscated and will face fines ranging from 3,000 yuan (US$385) to
20,000 yuan (US$2,564). Any pregnant woman who has her baby aborted
illegally will also face a fine of 2,000 yuan (US$256).
The move can be seen as a supportive measure for a set of
regulations to ban fetal gender selection by abortion in the
province, which took effect on Jan. 1, local government sources
said.
According to the regulations, only under the following
conditions should abortion be allowed: the fetus has serious
hereditary disease or severe defect; continuation of gestation will
harm the health or even life of the pregnant woman; the pregnant
woman has divorced or lost her spouse.
China's fifth population census in 2000 showed the ratio between
newborn boys and girls in Henan, which has more than 100 million
registered residents, was 118.46:100, considerably higher than the
normal ratio of 103-107:100.
The direct cause of such imbalance was gender identification
with "advanced technology" and abortions of female fetuses,
according to Henan Population and Family Planning Commission.
The gender imbalance reflects a deep-rooted view among Chinese
people, dating back thousands of years, that boys are more valued
than girls, and the fact that most Chinese couples are allowed to
have only one child.
In some rural areas of China, where labor is short, sexual
discrimination is especially obvious.
(Xinhua News Agency January 3, 2007)