Environmental studies and Forestry

Contraceptives?

It has been said that in nations seeking to reduce their population growth rate, a combination of sustainable economic development along with improved educational and socio-economic opportunities for women are the best “contraceptives” (i.e. ways to reduce a woman’s total fertility rate; don’t know this term? Look it up before posting).

A. How does improving educational opportunities for women help reduce population growth (in those nations seeking to do so)? Cite specific scientific, demographic, socioeconomic and/or geopolitical evidence from one (1) nation that is working to reduce its population growth rate and where improving education for women has worked / is working.

Be sure to back up your explanations with some research before discussing this topic online with your classmates. Be sure to read relevant sections of your text (and supplementary readings from this Module) and look online. Start with these background readings:

United Nations’ Girls’ Education Initiative
The Beijing Platform for Action Turns 20
The World Bank’s Girls’ Education Overview
Organize your posting by using the letter/number combinations as follows to earn up to 7 points. Be specific and thorough. Cite statistics in A2, A3.

A1. Identify a nation that has been / is working to reduce its population growth. For how long? (1 points)

A2. What has this nation done to improve the educational opportunities for its women? (2.5 points)

A3. How have increased educational opportunities for these women changed their socio-economic status? (2.5 points)

B. After you have posted, you must respond to at least two of your classmates right there on the discussion thread. This is worth 2 points each.

After creating a thread and posting your “Initial Post”, be sure to respond to at least two classmates’ posts. A response needs to be something substantial and contribute something significant to the conversation, not just saying “Good job.” or ” I like how you explained …”. Say something original and significant. Contribute some information, describe an example, share an experience, ask a thoughtful question, etc. If you are asked a thoughtful question, part of your significant response can be providing an intelligible response to that question. Each response should be at least a paragraph in length, that is, at minimum, 4-5 full sentences. Each response post is worth 2 points.

This discussion board is worth 10 points total and goes toward your “participation” grade.

Do your own work, do not copy or even paraphrase somebody else’s work. I’ll be on the lookout for such things as I grade and have various tools available to check for plagiarism. All college rules of Academic Dishonesty are fully in effect.

Complete this discussion forum in its entirety by the due date posted within the course calendar.

Background readings:

https://www.ungei.org/

https://beijing20.unwomen.org/en/in-focus/education-and-training

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/girlseducation

ANSWER

Population Growth and Education in China

A 1. China has been at the forefront of reducing its population growth. The plan began in 1079 as they feared that the country’s growing population would interfere with economic development (Maverick, 2020). China implemented the one child per family policy met with stringent repercussions for any family who violated this order. However, as of 2016, this policy was abolished because of the aging population that would no longer contribute to the economy and the reduction of a younger population (Maverick, 2020). The country is, however, set to re-introduce the policy in the near future. This method has been effective in ensuring that population growth is adequately monitored.

A 2. China has also prioritized girl’s education, a move that was boosted by the 2006 five-year plan initiative of promoting rural education. With the introduction of free education, many girls have seized this opportunity, especially in rural areas. In 2012, an estimated 51.4 percent of females were pursuing higher education in University, a number higher than males (Zhong & Guo, 2017). This indicates that China has created a conducive environment for girls and women to thrive in their pursuit of education. The government and non-governmental organizations have also advocated and implemented the subsidizing of female universities, allowing more female students to enroll.

A 3. Promoting women’s education in China has allowed women to take a more proactive role in building their economy.  More women are joining the workforce and significant roles, especially in science and technology. China’s labor pool in 2019 was 68.2 5 and female workers comprised 60.4 %, a groundbreaking figure (Ma, 2019). With good jobs that are paying well, that have been able to improve their social status and reach the standards that only men had occupied before.

References

Ma, L. (2019). Chinese Women in the Workforce: Current Condition and Problems. In Chinese Research Perspectives on Population and Labor, Volume 5 (pp. 133-160). Brill.

Maverick, J. (2020). A look at How Chia Controls Its Population. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/081715/look-how-china-controls-its-population.asp#:~:text=The%20country%20had%20feared%20that,to%20families%20with%20fewer%20children.

Zhong, Z., & Guo, F. (2017). Women in Chinese higher education: Educational opportunities and employability challenges. In The changing role of women in higher education (pp. 53-73). Springer, Cham.