A review of the development of maternity leave policy in China over the past 70 years

This study analyzes the changes in maternity leave policy in China during the past 70 years by reviewing the documents issued since 1949.During these years,the length of maternity leave increased from 56 days initially to 98 days,and finally to as much as 128 to 365 days.The sums paid to women taking maternity leave gradu-ally increased and an insurance mechanism was introduced.There were changes in the intent and focus of policies:(1)A change in the intention of maternity leave policy from protecting the rights and interests of women only to protecting those of both women and children.(2)A change in focus from one of implementing national family planning policy to one of protecting the rights of individuals.(3)A change in the focus point of policies from the home only to the workplace and the home.(4)An increased focus on gender equity evidenced by gradual introduction of pater-nity leave policy.Although maternity leave policy has improved over the years,challenges still exist including significant differences in the policy environment at the provincial level,and difficulties in implementing policy in some regions and enterprises.

Drastic changes in fertility level and timing in response to marriage and fertility policies: evidence from Shandong province, China

China’s“one-child policy”that had been in force between 1980 and 2016 evolved over time and differed widely between regions.Local policies in many regions also targeted the timing and spacing of childbearing by setting the minimum age at mar-riage,first birth and second birth and defining minimum interval between births.Our study uses data from the 120 Counties Population Dynamics Monitoring Sys-tem to reconstruct fertility level and timing in nine counties in Shandong province,which experienced frequent changes in birth and marriage policies.We reconstruct detailed indicators of fertility by birth order in 1986-2016,when policies on mar-riage and fertility timing became strictly enforced since 1989 and subsequently relaxed(especially in 2002)and abandoned(in 2013).Our analysis reveals that birth timing policies have fuelled drastic changes in fertility level,timing and spacing in the province.In the early 1990s period fertility rates plummeted to extreme low levels,with the provincial average total fertility rate falling below 1 in 1992-1995.Second births rates fell especially sharply.The age schedule of childbearing shifted to later ages and births became strongly concentrated just above the minimum pol-icy age at first and second birth,resulting in a bimodal distribution of fertility with peaks at ages 25 and 32.Conversely,the abandonment of the province-level policy on the minimum age at marriage and first birth and less strict enforcement of the policy on the minimum age at second birth contributed to a recovery of period fertil-ity rates in the 2000s and a shift to earlier timing of first and second births.It also led to a shorter second birth interval and a re-emergence of a regular age schedule of fertility with a single peak around age 28.

Which month to give a birth?The analysis on birth seasonality of China

A series of medical and biological studies have identified a strong link between the season during which a child is born and early childhood development and adult health.While providing an explanation for the seasonal determinants of birth remains one of the key challenges for demographers,understanding seasonal birth peaks and troughs can inform both public health planning and efforts to prevent childhood diseases.The seasonality of births varies across and within countries.Nonetheless,there has been scant research into the seasonality of births in China.This study takes an in depth look at the seasonal fluctuations in China’s births since 1960 and investigates the effects on seasonality of several key factors such as parity,residence(urban or rural area),and changes to fertility policies.Traditionally,winter has been the peak season of births in China,while spring and summer have been lean seasons,a pattern which is quite different than patterns in Europe and the United States.After 1990,the sweeping implementation of one-child policy and the wider use of modern contraceptives among Chinese women prompted a fundamental shift in the seasonality of births,with the deviation of births from month to month gradually diminishing over time.People’s self-control may serve as a key determinant accounting for such seasonal changes.First births exhibit pronounced and steady seasonality,while second and subsequent births follow a vague seasonal pattern,suggesting that later births are more likely affected by self-choice and self-intervention.The analysis also reveals that the monthly distribution pattern of second births experienced a dramatic change following the roll-out of the selective-two-child policy and the Universal Two-child Policy in 2014 and 2016,changes that reflects the adjustments people made to achieve their fertility plans under the new policy.