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Birth Control for Migrants in Urban Areas





Since migrants are viewed as traditional and "backward," with most rural women having an average of five to six children, migrant women are often perceived to have high fertility that violates the modern idea and rule of the one-child policy. Due to this implication, officials increase measures to monitor migrant families in order to keep track of how many children they have. Migrants, especially females, are required by law to obtain a "marriage and fertility certificate" given to them by their origin's local government; to ensure that they have it, officials require the certificates before residency cards can be issued.
Women with more than one child already can be forced to have an intrauterine device (IUD) implanted to prevent the possibility of another child. The policy can also be implemented from afar, when the rural governments demand a cash deposit while the migrants are away from home in order to make sure that they do not have additional children. Violation of the one-child policy can lead to heavy fines or loss of residency or employment.


Zhang, Li. Strangers in the City: Reconfigurations of Space, Power, and Social Networks within China's Floating Population. Stanford, California: 2001. 37. Print.

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