A village in Shaanxi province is known as a "bachelors' village" because about 40 percent of its residents are young unmarried men. This phenomenon, however, is not limited to the particular village because an increasing number of men, especially in poor areas, cannot find a life partner. Because of the worsening gender ratio, many sociologists fear a "bachelors' crisis", says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

The migration of a huge number of people from rural to urban areas - especially because more women than men choose to work in large cities - may be one of the reasons for the skewed sex ratio in some rural areas. In fact, many rural areas in China have a far higher number of adult males than females.

The unbalanced sex ratio at birth could also be blamed for the rising number of "leftover" men in villages. Demographic data show that China has had a skewed sex ratio since the 1980s, which has "created" more than 20 million "leftover" men.

But poverty is as much to blame as the skewed gender ratio for the "bachelors' villages". According to a survey conducted by Xi'an Jiaotong University, a large number of "leftover" men live in remote areas of western China, and the rising number of bachelors could lead to an increase in women-related crimes including trafficking.

The best way to correct the skewed sex ratio, therefore, is to accord women their rightful place in society and punish medical practitioners involved in illegal activities such as identifying the sex of fetuses. It is particularly important to make gender equality a part of village regulations in order to ensure that women enjoy the same right as men.

Compensation for lost child

Many people have lost their only child, and quite a few of them are struggling to cope with their loss. Recently, some parents' representatives said they hoped to get a response from the government to their request for granting compensation to couples who have lost their only child. In fact, the approval of such compensation shows a nation's responsibility toward its citizens, says an article in Beijing Youth Daily. Excerpts:

Many observers believe the special subsidies the government gives to families that have lost their only child should be made a permanent phenomenon. Besides, a system that protects such families' rights and interests should be established, and parents should be given administrative compensation.

Many families have helped to keep the population under control by following the family planning policy for the past more than 30 years. So if a family loses its only child, the government should take the responsibility of standing by it. In other words, the government should provide people with protection and guarantee. Besides, a comprehensive social security system should be established for the government to fulfill its obligations.

According to the Population and Family Planning Law, the local government should provide "necessary assistance" in case a couple loses its only child. In reality, however, such "assistance" is rarely forthcoming because of lack of detailed rules. Moreover, the current subsidy policy is applied to parents who have lost their only child and both are aged above 49 years old.

But many parents have lost their only child while still in their 30s or 40s, and thus could be denied the compensation for the death of their children.

To be more specific, some officials believe administrative compensation should be given to individuals only when the national policy causes direct loss to citizens. Since there is no direct causal relationship between the family planning policy and the families who have lost their only child, such administrative compensations should not be given. However, to some extent, the special subsidies given to "difficult" families can be regarded as charitable relief, which reflects the nation's obligation as well as the official compensation for the loss of a life.

The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.