Birth control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Birth control - Essay Example In China’s case, it is the state which advocates, encourages and enforces birth control without any hindrance but in other country such as Philippines, this is strongly opposed to making the issue complicated that it is difficult to determine which is right or wrong. The process of the research was not that difficult because I am already familiar with the state policy of China about birth control being a Chinese descent myself. I already have a working knowledge of the government’s policy about birth control and I only have to supplement it with a peer reviewed journal to validate what is already known to me. These comparisons of two extreme cases of how birth control is perceived only illustrate that there is no absolute perspective that could be taken as universally right about birth control. It is hoped that with the completion of this paper, the reader may be able to accept that the perspective about birth control really depends according to one’s need, cultu re, religion and preference and that there is no universally applicable perspective about it. The complexity of the issue of birth control Birth control is a very complex issue. The arguments and policies that support or negate birth control varies with each state that it is very hard to tell which one is right and which one is wrong. There are states that use birth control deliberately as a tool for economic development and often enforced by the state. This often brings complications on the issue such as what I witnessed with the mother of my high school best friend Li, when she had another baby. Although this should not be a problem with the rest of the world because my best friend’s family can support an additional child, the state does not allow this that she was forced to have an abortion. The complication however is not limited to China. There are also countries that see birth control differently that it is not only frowned upon but even strongly opposed making the issu e of birth control complicated that it is difficult to adopt a one universally accepted perspective about it. We can take two extreme cases as an example to illustrate how complex the issue of birth control is. In China for example, birth control had been taken to the extreme by the state where couples are only allowed to have one child under the â€Å"one child policy† of the government (Muhua and Chen 349). This is implemented under that pretext of socialist development of â€Å"National economic development must observe the law of planned and proportionate development. This law requires not only that the . . . production of material means ... but also that human reproduction develop in a planned way† (Muhua and Chen 350). This means that the population is controlled by the government in accordance to its developmental plan and strictly enforced. In plain language, the government mandates that people in China is allowed to only have one child and beyond that, people will be heavily taxed and the child be deprived of social service. These penalties are strongly enforced enough to become a deterrent among couples in China to have more than one child. I personally have seen how this policy is at work when the mother of my best friend in high school named Li became pregnant that she was forced to have an abortion because the second child was deemed illegal. It may seem that a life will become illegal in China but it is a state policy that having more than one chil

Monique and the Mango Rains Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Monique and the Mango Rains - Essay Example A major cause is that women in Mali are deprived of child custody rights. Kris discusses Monique in her book stating that she is more educated and skilled than her husband, they both speak different languages and they both belonged to different cities. As Kris gets to know more and more about Monique, it is revealed that she is unhappy with her married life and that she was having an affair with a man she wanted to marry. Because of the cultural practice of arranged marriages, she was forced to live with a man she never wanted to marry. (Holloway, 35) Forced marriages are a common society trait in Mali, though they have been influenced by western culture too, but they try to stick to their centuries old traditions of arranged marriages. No woman is allowed to marry the person of her own choice. It is important for the girls to maintain their virginity till marriage or else it is stated as to bring a bad name to their parents and their tribe. Gifts are paid from the groom to the girl’s family on marriage which is considered no more than the price of the girl. Such kind of marriages are not only uncivilized but also a cause of mental torture for the poor women. Arranged marriages are considered to bring honor to the family. In education, women are also at a disadvantage. Parents think of boys’ education as a better investment than a girl’s education which results in gender difference in education. Statistics show that at the level of primary education the girls ratio is 33% whereas that of boys it is 48% , in secondary schools this ratio is as much as double than that of girls Early forced marriages resulting in pregnancy keeps women away from continuing their education. Many girls are only dropped out of school only because boys of their families are preferred since they are the ones who live with their parents all their