China's One Child Policy has led to the deaths of tens of millions of girls, simply because of their gender. Due to existing cultural preferences for sons rather than daughters, many Chinese families are abandoning, aborting, or hiding their female children. As a result, there are now 37 million more men than women living in China. This gender imbalance has in turn led to an increase in sex trafficking, child brides, and prostitution in the country.
The following three cases from 2012 are examples of the tragic effects of this policy and the cultural preference for sons:
• Feng Jianmei, Ankang City, Shaanxi Province. Feng's pregnancy was forcibly aborted at seven months, igniting a firestorm of criticism internationally. Indeed, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning forced abortion in China, specifically citing Feng.
• Cao Ruyi, Changsha City, Hunan Province. Family Planning Officials attempted to force Cao to have an abortion at five months, which she refused and was then detained. Because of international pressure she was released from detention, but she remains at risk of forced abortion. As of August 2012, she is in hiding.
• Hu Jia, Jianli County, Hubei Province. China's Southern Metropolis Daily reported that Hu Jia's pregnancy was forcibly aborted at nearly eight months. That this case was reported by a major Chinese newspaper indicates the growing discontent with the policy inside China and the courage of the Chinese news media to report it.
• In 2009 the British Medical Journal published that the overall gender ratio for China is 120 boys for every 100 girls. Eight provinces had ratios of over 160 boys for every 100 girls, for second children. The article stated, "Sex selective abortion accounts for almost all the excess males."
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