China: gender discrimination worsening, particularly in relation to pregnancy

A report by international NGO Human Rights Watch, published at the start of this month, has revealed that a resurgence in gender-based discrimination in the workplace, particularly when it comes to pregnancy, has coincided with the relaxation of China’s one-child policy – after more than 30 years – in December 2015, to allow couples to have two children. The finding came as the Chinese government announced that it will allow couples to have three children, in order to halt the dramatic decline of its birth rate. In its report, Human Rights Watch above all denounces the gap between the government's stated aims regarding the equal treatment of women at work and the actual effectiveness of measures to protect their rights. It also points to an intrinsic contradiction between the country’s pro-birth aims and its stated aim of fostering the emancipation of individuals, particularly women in this case.