Kerala India, USA TVPA 2000, Japan, China, Singapore

Anti-natal/Pro-natal policies, Ageing Policies, Gender Equality and Anti-Trafficking Policies

Japan

Ageing Population due to both low birth and death rates since 1945

Japan Facts

13% of the country were youth dependents in 2016

In the present, 26% are Elderly dependents and 11% are youth dependents

Elderly population increased from 0.8 million in 1925 to 2.5 million in 2000

What was The Angel Plan?

• Expanding access to childcare services (increasing the capacity of day nurseries next to train stations

• Establishing child rearing support centres

• Flexible work arrangements promoted and men encouraged to stay home

What were some legislative solutions?

• Increasing migration

• Long term care insurance (most generous in the world)

• Creation of MedTech and age care industries

How effective are Japan’s policies?

• The Gold plan already in place so the Angel plan received a lack of funding

• Toxic work practices leave little time to children

• Xenophobia and controversy in allowing foreigners to migrate to Japan

• Still an active decline in the work force.

Singapore

Introduced Pro-natal policies in 1987 to get there fertility rate to be above the replacement rate (3 or more)

What were their population policies like previously?

From 1972-1987 Anti-natal policies where implied through propaganda causing the fertility rate fall from 1960-1975

What were the legislative solutions?

• Increasing maternity leave (12 weeks)

• Government sponsored dating agencies and subsided child care

• Family planning and population Board abolished

Where Singapore’s Policies effective?

There was a slight initial increase in fertility rate but it was short term.

• Changing peoples attitudes towards family size in HICs can be difficult due to an educated population, the cost of raising children and a lack of influence over personal decisions.

China

Imposed Anti-natal policies in 1979 (One child policy) to bring down the birth rate due to worried over resource scarcity

China Facts

• Population reduced by 300million over 30 years

• Birth rate fell from 33 per 1000 in 1970 to 17 per 1000 in 1979

Was it successful?

Yes however it disproportionally effected the poor as they could not pay the fines for disobedience while the richer could evade the legislation.

What is Chinas Population policies like now?

2013 reforms to the legislation loosened the controls due to a threat of an aging population but it could possibly lead to a baby boom.

USA TVPA 2000

Anti trafficking policies incorporating 3 of the sustainable development goals in 2015.

USA Facts

2 billion people still live in areas where trafficking is still not criminalised

What are the TVPAs main components?

Protection - increased effects to protect foreign national victims as well as non-immigrants

Prosecution - of traffickers related to forced labour and sexual exploitation

Prevention - to assist other governments to reduce trafficking

Why isn’t it effective?

Not all countries have or adhere to anti trafficking laws and they can be lacking like in the middle east. Although it does spread awareness.

Kerala India

Has been trying to achieve gender equality since 1945 by improve education for women and other factors.

Kerala facts

• 71% of women were primary school teachers while 36% were university lecturers.

• 71% of educated women are unemployed, 18% for men.

Why is Kerala different to other Indian provenances?

• A tradition of female employment with girls educated to the same standard as boys

• Jobs open to women in health since early 20th centaury

• Autonomy in their personal life

• No obstacles to remarriage, tradition of dowery

Is it this implicit approach effective?

It is reaching a sustainable development goal and it has reduced birth rates in a natural way. It has also allowed for a high level of education for women resulting in good health and numerous government programmes that make them less disadvantages

• However still marginalised in the economic process.