Gender Selection Gets More Scrutiny

Six government departments are jointly sponsoring a national campaign against child gender selection for non-medical purposes. Gender manipulation is banned by Chinese law, but gender preference for male offspring is believed to be at the root of the skewed gender ratio, standing at 118.06 according to the latest census. The campaign, running from August to next March, targets both pre-birth determination of the sex of a fetus and abortion for reasons other than the health of mother or baby. Intensive inspections are slated for health institutions and businesses selling and prescribing pregnancy-termination drugs. The use of ultrasound, retailing of oral abortants, and abortion procedures after 14 weeks are the areas to be closely monitored. Establishments in violation of the law risk having their licenses revoked, and their top managers face penalties ranging from demotion to prison terms.