Today's boys may face a major problem when they become
tomorrow's men - they will find it very difficult to get hitched,
simply because there won't be enough women.
Sociologists are calling for swift measures to be taken to
address the nation's growing gender ratio imbalance.
China now has 37 million more males than females, the
People's Daily reported on Friday, without giving the
source.
And the number of males below the age of 15 is 18 million more
than females in the same age group, the report said.
A census in 2000 showed that the gender ratio between female and
male infants was 100 to 116.9, with this widening to 100 to 118.88
in 2005.
Regional disparity also exists, with some areas reporting a
ratio of 100 to 138, such as southern China's Guangdong and Hainan provinces.
"Currently, the problem does not seem to be very serious," said
Tian Xueyuan, deputy director of the China Population Society. "But
if it remains unchecked, when they reach the marriage age, problems
will occur."
Zheng Zhenzhen, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences, said that 10 percent of males may have difficulties
finding a wife in two decades time.
"An imbalanced gender ratio will naturally lead to problems in
terms of seeking spouses," Zheng said. "And less competitive males
could be forced out."
Crimes targeting women are on the rise in some places where the
imbalance is at its greatest, the report said, quoting sources with
the National Population and Family Planning Commission.
Tian said that a deeply rooted traditional concept that "boys
are better than girls" is the reason behind the imbalanced
ratio.
"Agriculture has dominated China for thousands of years," he
said. "In an economic sense, there is a far greater need for boys
than girls in the fields."
(China Daily July 7, 2007)