Retailers in central China's Henan Province are banned to sell abortion drugs
as of January 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 (385 U.S. dollars) to
20,000 yuan (2,564 U.S. dollars). Any pregnant woman who has her baby aborted
illegally will also face a fine of 2,000 yuan (256 U.S. dollars).
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 January 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.
(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)