ABSTRACT
Since the early 1980s, sex ratio at birth started to increase in China with the most recent nationwide census in 2000 showing a ratio of 119.1 This means that, on average, for every 100 newborn girls, there are 119 newborn boys. This ratio is considered an imbalanced sex ratio compared with the normal level of around 105.2 This imbalance is a very worrisome issue especially regarding its implications for the status of girls and women in Chinese society and the quality of social relationships that is suited for sustaining a balance between economic and social development towards a more equal and participatory ‘Xiao Kang’ society.
