16/11/2004
stampa
invia
In Quinglong's only hospital, located in the Eastern region of Hebei,
sixteen people were admitted last month for attempted suicide; eleven
of them were women. In the previous months the figure was more or
less the same. Similar data also exists for other regions and
concerns in particular women between the ages of 15 and 34 who live in
rural areas. According to official statistics, women in rural
areas are 3 to 5 times more likely to commit suicide than women in the
city.
The main factors leading to such extreme action are
failed marriages and economic difficulties. In rural areas many
young women are forced to marry before the age of twenty and are often
treated poorly by their husbands. These women move from one job
to the next working for hours on end, often without pay. If they
have children, the burden of a family can be quite heavy. In
general, rural families have twice as many children as urban families.
The women of rural China have a very low standard of
living and are the objects of discrimination. As a consequence,
many suffer from depression. They believe their lives and their
household activities are of little value. Acceptable women's
roles in rural communities are limited to those of homemaker, mother,
and grandmother.
In some cases, however, institutions encourage female activities as
well, an indication that things are changing in a country with one of
the highest rates of economic growth. In rural China, however,
many ancient ways remain, the most terrible of which is the murder of
newborn babies. In fact, in the past, the Chinese family planning
authority encouraged male children; those families who adhered to the
so-called 'one child policy' often did not gain anything other than the
certainty of having only one child. In some parts of the People's
Republic this practice has created striking imbalances between the
sexes. For example, in Shanghai (a region bordering Hebei) around
145 boys are born for every 100 girls, compared to a national average
of 114 for every 100.
Many women are lured into leaving their rural homes to find work in the
city. In rural regions it is very important to have a wife and
heir. On average, there are 130 men for every 100 women.
Girls are purchased in order to compensate for this imbalance, taking
advantage of their low socio-economic status and their poor self
esteem. Many young women are kidnapped at 20 years of age, others
still as children. Kidnappers take them away with false promises
of earnings or simply by force. Sometimes they are drugged,
raped, or sold more than once. In recent years many have
attempted escape only to be punished by their kidnappers with a severed
foot tendon.
stampainvia
Kidnappings, exploitation to the point of death, and discrimination
Written for us by
Roberta Barazza
In Quinglong's only hospital, located in the Eastern region of Hebei,
sixteen people were admitted last month for attempted suicide; eleven
of them were women. In the previous months the figure was more or
less the same. Similar data also exists for other regions and
concerns in particular women between the ages of 15 and 34 who live in
rural areas. According to official statistics, women in rural
areas are 3 to 5 times more likely to commit suicide than women in the
city.
The main factors leading to such extreme action are
failed marriages and economic difficulties. In rural areas many
young women are forced to marry before the age of twenty and are often
treated poorly by their husbands. These women move from one job
to the next working for hours on end, often without pay. If they
have children, the burden of a family can be quite heavy. In
general, rural families have twice as many children as urban families.
Yue, a woman from Hebei, attempted suicide because
of heavy economic burdens. Yue and her husband earn scarcely 400
Yen a month, about 40 Euros. Wives spend most of their time at
home caring for children and the elderly. Husbands, however, work
outside the home and are able to have a more varied social life.
Suicides are committed most frequently with the aid
of pesticides and other poisonous substances readily available in rural
areas. Difficult access to Emergency Medical Centers aggravates
the situation. The transport of patients from some rural areas to
the closest equipped hospital can take many hours. The
treatments, moreover, cost thousands of Yen, further straining the
finances of a family that is already very poor.
The women of rural China have a very low standard of
living and are the objects of discrimination. As a consequence,
many suffer from depression. They believe their lives and their
household activities are of little value. Acceptable women's
roles in rural communities are limited to those of homemaker, mother,
and grandmother.
The bureaucratic structure and employment agencies are, for the most
part, geared toward a male society. Women are still encouraged to
limit themselves solely to their roles as a wife mother and are
rewarded when they do so. Those that decide to take part in
extra-familial activities such as conferences, courses, or groups
reflecting a personal interest seldom receive support of
incentives. Such activities, however, are very rare.
Poverty forces the rural Chinese to dedicate their lives solely to
work, leaving little time for a social life and entertainment. In
sparsely populated areas, compared to other regions, there are few
opportunities to relax and socialize. Often the only occasions
for social gatherings are weddings and funerals.
Many women say they have attempted suicide because "there was nothing
interesting in their lives." In order to find respite from their
dull worlds they turn to games of chance such as mahjong, Chinese
cards. Some end up squandering their family's few resources,
increasing their economic problems. In China the state does not
make provisions for a minimum standard of living for rural workers.
In some cases, however, institutions encourage female activities as
well, an indication that things are changing in a country with one of
the highest rates of economic growth. In rural China, however,
many ancient ways remain, the most terrible of which is the murder of
newborn babies. In fact, in the past, the Chinese family planning
authority encouraged male children; those families who adhered to the
so-called 'one child policy' often did not gain anything other than the
certainty of having only one child. In some parts of the People's
Republic this practice has created striking imbalances between the
sexes. For example, in Shanghai (a region bordering Hebei) around
145 boys are born for every 100 girls, compared to a national average
of 114 for every 100.
One troubling recent development in the female condition in rural China
is evident in the sale of wives and children. Condemned and
punished by Mao since 1949, this traffic reappeared in China in the
70's. In 2000 aggressive governmental measures allowed the
liberation of 110,000 women and 30,000 children who had been previously
sold. But the problem remains. UNICEF has publicized the
gravity of the problem and set up measures against this practice,
particularly in the southeastern region of Yunnan.
Many women are lured into leaving their rural homes to find work in the
city. In rural regions it is very important to have a wife and
heir. On average, there are 130 men for every 100 women.
Girls are purchased in order to compensate for this imbalance, taking
advantage of their low socio-economic status and their poor self
esteem. Many young women are kidnapped at 20 years of age, others
still as children. Kidnappers take them away with false promises
of earnings or simply by force. Sometimes they are drugged,
raped, or sold more than once. In recent years many have
attempted escape only to be punished by their kidnappers with a severed
foot tendon.
Peasants pay around 500 dollars for women. Neighbors have the
task of keeping a close watch on the young woman and making her conform
to the new situation. In some cases the young women are purchased
by factory operators for low cost labor or end up victims of
prostitution. The authorities are mobilizing in order to resolve
the problem, but connivance between the forces of order and crime has
often been reported. In January of 2001, 8 men accused of
trafficking 140 women were executed.
The problem, however, is
deep-rooted. It is connected to the family politics of recent
years and to traditional culture. Meanwhile, there has been a
increase in cultural and health-related initiatives which aim to
prevent suicide. They establish a direct connection with rural
families and organize meeting places.
According to the World Health Organization's 2003 statistics, there are
roughly 1 million attempted suicides each year worldwide. In
China there are 287,000 suicides each year, 156,000 of which are women,
while between 20 and 50 million Chinese reportedly attempt suicide
unsuccessfully.
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