Saturday, September 25, 2010

China: Former Tiananmen Square leader calls for end to gendercide and forced abortions

Saturday marks the 30th anniversary of the formation of China's One-Child Policy, and for millions of girls and mothers affected by its rigid enforcement, the day is anything but a happy occasion. Although most Americans are unaware of the hundreds of millions of deaths and abandonments that have occurred as a result of this policy, one organization is on a mission to both reveal the injustice of this policy and restore value to girls and mothers in China.

All Girls Allowed (AGA) was founded by Chai Ling, two-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and former chief student leader in the 1989 Tiananmen Square Democracy Movement. The organization supports baby girls in villages with the greatest gender imbalance (sometimes up to 100 girls born for every 130 boys), and spreads awareness of human rights violations and the issue of gendercide. Visitors to AGA's website can send a baby shower gift to ensure a baby girl has a chance at life, sponsor an orphaned girl's education, sign a pledge to support girls' value, and find resources about the One-Child Policy. From students to celebrities, many have already begun to get involved.

AGA is co-hosting a press conference to discuss this tragic anniversary on Capitol Hill, featuring Congressman Chris Smith, former political prisoner Harry Wu, AGA founder Chai Ling and Reggie Littlejohn (Women's Rights without Frontiers).

Today in China, an alarming gender imbalance exists. The Chinese government admits an average of 120 boys are born for every 100 girls. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences reports that in 2020, there will be 40 million more young men than women; by comparison, the U.S. has 40 million young men in total. Not surprisingly, China's crime rates and the prevalence of women and child trafficking have risen dramatically. Many respected economists have begun to voice concern over the volatile state of China's "demographic time bomb", and while the policy was originally set to end on September 25, 2010, it remains in place with very little change.

Source: All Girls Allowed