Western media often tell stories of the sufferings of women in China, as the result of the one-child policy: forced abortions, sterilizations, bullying by local authorities. When talking with people in the U.S. or in Europe I also get the question (or call it rather, criticism) of the poor Chinese who can only have one child. Unfortunately the sad stories are mostly based on facts and some extreme cases even pop up in the Chinese media.
But that really pales in comparison with the totally barbarian ways women are treated in India. A good example of the media loving to hit at China and ignore the rest of the world. But with the recent ugly stories of gang rapes in the largest democracy in the world, India now comes out pretty bad. Many men seem to be simply animals and the police even worse – even the Chinese police suddenly looks like a friendly bunch of guys. As for the Indian rapists: cut it off down there and then hang them.
According to Indian sources, 25.000 to 100,000 women a year are killed over dowry disputes. As many as 100,000 women are burned to death each year, say other sources and another 125,000 die from violent injuries. Girls, from the time they are born, often suffer neglect as boys are favored, in breast feeding, in food, health care, education. About 130,000 fatalities a year among women in childbirth each year. Girls raped normally never go to the police as they would be promptly raped again by them. Now, I think Chinese girls are very, very lucky to live in China and not in India – or worse – in some Muslim country.
Americans have also little to be proud of. Gang rapes are not exclusive to India as the Steubenville high school football players proved. Not even to talk about that dysfunctional Congress that failed to renew the Violence Against Women Act as well as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. For sure they will come up with their usual lame excuses.
In other words, women still need their rights to be respected and people should not always bore me with their questions regarding the one-child policy. Clean up your own backyard first.
More details on this:
Nicholas B. Kristof: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/opinion/sunday/is-delhi-so-different-from-steubenville.html?ref=nicholasdkristof
Gardiner Harris: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/world/asia/in-rapes-aftermath-india-debates-violence-against-women.html?ref=gardinerharris