She says that her heart is heavy with anxiety as she tries to pay her bills. And she is concerned about a fine imposed on illegal births. “I fear I will not be able to pay” she says.
Yi Ran’s son does not exist on China’s population records. Household registrations -- known as "hukou" in Chinese -- are only available to children born within a legal marriage.
Rising incomes, liberal sexual behavior and growing mobility are all affecting women’s choices about family and relationships.
The Guangdong Province Research Center on Family Planning did a survey. It found that up to 80 percent of female migrant workers in the province have premarital sex. Fifty to 60 percent of them have had an accidental pregnancy.
When they decide to keep their baby, single women are aware they are breaking the law. Chinese family planning agencies punish any violation of the one-child policy, including birth out of wedlock.
Little Support for Single Mothers and Children
Wei Wei is a social worker with Little Bird, an NGO that provides help for migrant workers. He says Chinese society does not support aid to unwed mothers.
“Their status is illegal, they do not have any legal protection. And this is a thorny social group, there’s no organization that looks after them.”
Wei Wei says the problem is widespread, especially in manufacturing areas like Guangzhou and Shenzhen where migrant workers flock together.
最新
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25