On 28 October, the government presented directives designed to halt the decline in the country's birth rate, as part of a wider plan to "rearm demographically". A number of measures are aimed at improving working conditions for women as well as protecting them during pregnancy.
The directives presented on 28 October contain 13 concrete measures aimed at changing the attitudes of women themselves and their employers. Chinese authorities are concerned after two consecutive years of demographic decline and a fertility rate of less than 2.1 children, especially as the increasingly urgent incentives to have at least two children seem to be fizzling out. The new directives appear to move in a direction that is more respectful of women’s expectations – not having to...
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Article authors
Éric Sautedé
Freelance