The couple, surnamed Zhong, both have a child from a previous marriage.  They thought that they could have a child together under China’s new Two-Child Policy, as is the case in other provinces in China.  They were mistaken, under the current laws of Guangdong.

The due date of Zhong’s child is September 10.  She told Sixth Tone that she felt depressed, anxious, trapped.  “I can’t give up on this child, as I’m almost 40,” she said.  “And it wouldn’t be easy for us to find jobs again, given our ages.”  Zhong shares her anxieties on WeChat, where approximately 500 people have gathered to share similar experiences.

Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, stated, “The Chinese Communist propaganda machine made a big deal out of its shift to a Two-Child Policy, announcing that they had “abandoned” the One-Child Policy.  I immediately stated that this minor modification would not end coercion, and now the proof is beginning to leak out.  Our hearts go out to the Zhong family.  They are brave indeed to stand up to the intense government pressure to abort at eight months or both lose their jobs.  The Chinese government is doing its best to force them to have an abortion by exerting intense financial pressure.  The fact that there are 500 people commiserating with them on WeChat demonstrates that they are not alone.  This would indicate a pattern or practice of continuing coercion.”

Another Guangdong native, He Liping, is six months pregnant.  She faces a crippling fine:  “I had no idea that we’re not qualified to have a second child until I went to register for a birth permit with the local neighborhood committee.”  Her husband had a child before marrying her, and they have a two-year old together.  She is now six months pregnant.  Fines for illegal children in Foshan run 260,000 yuan ($39,000).  “It’s a huge amount of money for an average family like mine,” He told Sixth Tone.

Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women's Rights Without Frontiers, testified before the Congressional Executive Commission on China on April 30th, 2015 to discuss this further.

To read Littlejohn's full testimony and her expert opinion on why China's Communist Party will not eliminate the policy, please follow this link:

http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=1995

Gendercide may well be the most serious human rights violation and form of discrimination against girls and women happening on earth today. As many as 200 million girls are missing because of gendercide and extreme human rights violations as we see with the enforcement of China's one-child policy. Now is the time to stand up for girls and women everywhere!

The views expressed by guest contributors to the “It’s a Girl” blog represent the opinion of the individual author who contributes the content and should not be interpreted as being endorsed or approved by Shadowline Films. We feature these contributions to foster dialogue and exchange on gendercide and invite our readership to join the discussion.

India’s massive gender gap has resulted in human trafficking. In a country where there are 37 million more men than women, girls are trafficked into brothels and also into villages as brides for men who have no women to marry. To fight trafficking, we must also fight gendercide in India.

Annually, the US State Department addresses trafficking in India in its Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, holding India accountable for steps it is taking to reduce trafficking. The 2013 TIP Report recognized the link between trafficking and gendercide in India, stating that girls and women were “being sold or coerced into forced marriages in states with low female-to-male gender ratios.” The State Department did not further recognize gendercide as the root of trafficking, however. And since then, it has not further addressed India’s low sex ratios and the resulting trafficking. Because gendercide leads to trafficking, focusing only on trafficking is futile.

Our officials need to know you care about girls and women in India and you want the U.S. to take action to stop both gendercide and trafficking there. Please take action now.

Sign the Petition Now

Watch this video for more information on the Invisible Girl Project:

Visit IGP’s website, www.InvisibleGirlProject.org for more information! 

IGP’s partner provides a cow on "loan" to a mother of a little girl.  The mother will earn an income from the sale of the milk that the cow produces.  The mother then pays back the loan from the sale of each liter of milk.  The $1000 cow loan is usually paid back over a period of a year.  That money can then be used to "pay it forward" to the next woman in need.

This earned income empowers the women financially.  If their family members pressure them to kill their daughters or threaten to abandon them if they keep their daughters, the mothers have a way to provide for themselves and their daughters.  IGP has found that the mothers and baby girls are protected in these villages when the women have an opportunity to earn an income for their families.

For every $1000 we raise, we can give ONE COW to a family.

Cow loans are just one integral component to a holistic approach in the fight to end gendercide in India.

Watch this video for more information on the Invisible Girl Project:

Give a cow today!

And, visit IGP’s new website, www.InvisibleGirlProject.org for more info! 

Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, stated:  “The fact that Birth Permits will no longer be required for first and second children is a positive development.  These Permits have been very difficult to obtain, sometimes requiring months of effort on the parts of couples seeking to have a child.  The English language announcement by the Chinese Communist Party-controlled media, however, omits important language that births not allowed by the two-child policy will be ‘punished.’ 

“It is still illegal in China for a single woman to give birth and such mothers will continue to face forced abortion.  Third children will continue to be aborted.  Family Planning Police will continue closely to monitor the fertility of women.  There is no promise that forced sterilizations after the second child – even a legal second child – will cease.”

An English translation of the full text of the paragraph abolishing birth permits reads as follows (emphasis added):

(VIII.)  Reforming the Management of Birth Service.  [The government] will implement the birth registration system; government approval is not needed for the birth of the first two children, and [such births] will be arranged by individual families.  [The government will] improve the management of childbirth for remarriages.  [The government will] simplify the procedures for such issues to make it convenient for the people.  [The government] will punish the birth of additional children outside of what is allowed in the Policy.

Littlejohn concluded:  “The Chinese Communist Party has not agreed to get out of the bedrooms of the Chinese people.  We need to keep the international pressure on the Chinese Communist Party until all coercive population control is eradicated.  Take action by signing our petition against forced abortion in China.”

Watch Stop Forced Abortion – China’s War on Women! Video (4 mins)

Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women's Rights Without Frontiers, testified before the Congressional Executive Commission on China on April 30th, 2015 to discuss this further.

To read Littlejohn's full testimony and her expert opinion on why China's Communist Party will not eliminate the policy, please follow this link:

http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=1995

Gendercide may well be the most serious human rights violation and form of discrimination against girls and women happening on earth today. As many as 200 million girls are missing because of gendercide and extreme human rights violations as we see with the enforcement of China's one-child policy. Now is the time to stand up for girls and women everywhere!

The views expressed by guest contributors to the “It’s a Girl” blog represent the opinion of the individual author who contributes the content and should not be interpreted as being endorsed or approved by Shadowline Films. We feature these contributions to foster dialogue and exchange on gendercide and invite our readership to join the discussion.

Every shirt that Sevenly sells this week will support the work of Invisible Girl Project, such as help provide food, medical aid and protection to a young girl who is at risk of being abandoned or killed in India. Your support will not only rescue a little girl and help her mother keep and care for her, but also serves to restore the value of girls in the eyes of the community.

Watch this video for more information on the Invisible Girl Project:

Please go to www.sevenly.org/support-IGP and purchase a shirt to help SAVE THE LIFE OF A LITTLE GIRL IN INDIA today! 

And, visit IGP’s new website, www.InvisibleGirlProject.org for more info! 

Xinhua News Agency reported today that China will move to a two-child policy for all couples, “abandoning its decades-long one-child policy.” 

Characterizing this latest modification as “abandoning” the One-Child Policy is misleading.  A two-child policy will not end any of the human rights abuses caused by the One Child Policy, including forced abortion, involuntary sterilization or the sex-selective abortion of baby girls.

The reason given for this adjustment is entirely demographic: “to balance population development and address the challenge of an ageing population.”  The adjustment is a tacit acknowledgement that continuation of the one-child policy will lead to economic and demographic disaster. The policy was originally instituted for economic reasons. It is ironic that through this very policy, China has written its own economic death sentence.

Noticeably absent from the Chinese Communist party’s announcement is any mention of human rights. Even though it will now allow all couples to have a second child, China has not promised to end forced abortion, forced sterilization, or forced contraception.

Coercion is the core of the policy.  Instituting a two-child policy will not end forced abortion or forced sterilization.

The problem with the one-child policy is not the number of children “allowed.” Rather, it is the fact that the CCP is telling women how many children they can have and then enforcing that limit through forced abortion and forced sterilization.  There is no guarantee that the CCP will cease their appalling methods of enforcement.  Women will still have to obtain a government-issued birth permit, for the first and second child, or they may be subject to forced abortion.  It will still be illegal for an unmarried woman to have a child.  Regardless of the number of children allowed, women who get pregnant without permission will still be dragged out of their homes, strapped down to tables, and forced to abort babies that they want.

Further, instituting a two-child policy will not end gendercide. Indeed, areas in which two children currently are allowed are especially vulnerable to gendercide, the sex-selective abortion of females. According to the 2009 British Medical Journal study of data from the 2005 national census, in nine provinces, for “second order births” where the first child is a girl, 160 boys were born for every 100 girls. In two provinces, Jiangsu and Anhui, for the second child, there were 190 boys for every hundred girls born. This study stated, “sex selective abortion accounts for almost all the excess males.” Because of this gendercide, there are an estimated 37 million Chinese men who will never marry because their future wives were terminated before they were born. This gender imbalance is a powerful, driving force behind trafficking in women and sexual slavery, not only in China, but in neighboring nations as well.

The government announcement does not mention the abolition of the household registration or hukou system, whereby children who are born without birth permits are denied birth certificates and are not eligible for healthcare or education. 

Sending out the message that China has “abandoned” its one-child policy is detrimental to sincere efforts to stop forced abortion and gendercide in China, because this message implies that the one-child policy is no longer a problem. In a world laden with compassion fatigue, people are relieved to cross China’s one-child policy off of their list of things to worry about. But we cannot do that. Let us not abandon the women of China, who continue to face forced abortion, and the baby girls of China, who continue to face sex-selective abortion and abandonment. The one-child policy does not need to be modified. It needs to be abolished.

Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women's Rights Without Frontiers, testified before the Congressional Executive Commission on China on April 30th, 2015 to discuss this further.

To read Littlejohn's full testimony and her expert opinion on why China's Communist Party will not eliminate the policy, please follow this link:

http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=1995

Gendercide may well be the most serious human rights violation and form of discrimination against girls and women happening on earth today. As many as 200 million girls are missing because of gendercide and extreme human rights violations as we see with the enforcement of China's one-child policy. Now is the time to stand up for girls and women everywhere!

The views expressed by guest contributors to the “It’s a Girl” blog represent the opinion of the individual author who contributes the content and should not be interpreted as being endorsed or approved by Shadowline Films. We feature these contributions to foster dialogue and exchange on gendercide and invite our readership to join the discussion.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I am a doctor/pediatrician and I have faced immense pressure from my matrimonial family to abort my twin female children. My experience in fighting for justice for my daughters show the extreme patriarchal attitude of all authorities supposed to help women like me, who want to go against their families and save their daughters.I am the first mother in India to file a complaint under the P.C-P.N.D.T Act because my husband and in laws did not want me to give birth to my twin daughters. My case* set a precedent for other women to come forward and complain when being forced to abort their own daughters. The P.C-P.N.D.T Act which was passed in 1994 was highlighted when I filed my complaints.

Despite it being found out that no Form F was filled when USG was done on me, and other incriminating evidences today after 10 years of my struggle, the trial court has discharged all the accused and dismissed the case. The orders of the court does not even mention the arguments raised by my counsel. The lower court has dismissed my P.N.D.T complaint despite all evidence.

I will however fight back, but need the support of all of you. The orders discharging the accused is a closed door for any other women who want to come forward to speak out against their accused, in their lawful obligation to protect their daughters.

If I appeal alone in the higher court, the orders will be same. This time I want all of you with me, with you extending your support in media, in social media, in talking with others, and watching over the orders as they come in. I cannot do this alone. Please share, blog, and tweet with the hashtag #IStandWithDrMituKhurana.

I want people to realize I do not get any monetary benefit from this case. I just want my daughters, our daughters, to have and to inherit a safer, better world. As sex ratios decline, our society is becoming more violent -- crime in general, and crime against women in particular, is increasing.

This is not about me. This is about all women who want to save their daughters. This is about all of us, as a people, as a nation.

In Solidarity!

Dr. Mitu Khurana

*My case has been highlighted in various national and International media, some of them being-

1) First episode of SATYAMEV JAYATE

2) WITNESS program on ALJAZEERA channel (http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2013/09/20139912536503360.html)

3) 2009 Human Rights Reports: India by US government (http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/sca/136087.htm)

4) 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – India (http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2010/sca/154480.htm)

Please consider selecting Invisible Girl Project as your charity of choice! IGP is one of our action partners seeking to end the atrocity of gendercide in India. IGP raises global awareness concerning the loss of female lives in India, pursues justice for the lives lost, and assists Indian organizations in the rescue of and care for Indian girls. 

 

"You shop. Amazon gives."
Be sure to shop at smile.amazon.com and look for this indicator and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to Invisible Girl Project:

Watch this video for more information on the Invisible Girl Project:

Visit IGP’s website, www.InvisibleGirlProject.org for more info! 

As part of his Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter) campaign, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a call to his country to celebrate the girl child in one of today's most popular ways: using social media. His appeal was for parents to share a photo with their daughter using the hashtag #SelfieWithDaughter, and thousands positively responded.

I urge all of you, share a #SelfieWithDaughter. Also share a tagline that will encourage 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' : PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 28, 2015

PM Modi mentioned in an interview with the Indian Express that the idea for this social media push was brought to him by the head of a small village in Haryana, which has one of the most skewed sex ratio in the country. Bibipur, or "the women's world," is a village in Haryana that is working on spreading awareness of women's issues and bringing women into the limelight. Read more here.

This campaign is certainly an inspiring example of culture change! It proves that a small group of people can have a significant impact when they stand for justice. 

Thank you for standing with us and the It's a Girl campaign to end gendercide!

Many have heard of reports that China is ridding of the One-Child policy that has been in effect for three and a half decades and has prompted countless numbers of enforced abortions and sterilization of Chinese women in those years. Unfortunately, this is not the case as the coercive policy is still strictly enforced. 

Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women's Rights Without Frontiers, testified before the Congressional Executive Commission on China on April 30th, 2015 to discuss this further.

Littlejohn states:

"The problem with the one-child policy is not the number of children “allowed.” Rather, it is the fact that the CCP is telling women how many children they can have and then enforcing that limit through forced abortion and forced sterilization. Even if all couples were allowed two children, there is no guarantee that the CCP will cease their appalling methods of enforcement. Regardless of the number of children allowed, women who get pregnant without permission will still be dragged out of their homes, strapped down to tables, and forced to abort babies that they want."

To read Littlejohn's full testimony and her expert opinion on why China's Communist Party will not eliminate the policy, please follow this link:

http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=1995

Gendercide may well be the most serious human rights violation and form of discrimination against girls and women happening on earth today. As many as 200 million girls are missing because of gendercide and extreme human rights violations as we see with the enforcement of China's one-child policy. Now is the time to stand up for girls and women everywhere!

The views expressed by guest contributors to the “It’s a Girl” blog represent the opinion of the individual author who contributes the content and should not be interpreted as being endorsed or approved by Shadowline Films. We feature these contributions to foster dialogue and exchange on gendercide and invite our readership to join the discussion.

Every shirt that Sevenly sells this week will support the work of Invisible Girl Project, such as help provide food, medical aid and protection to a young girl who is at risk of being abandoned or killed in India. Your support will not only rescue a little girl and help her mother keep and care for her, but also serves to restore the value of girls in the eyes of the community.

Watch this video for more information on the Invisible Girl Project:

Please go to www.sevenly.org/IGP and purchase a shirt to help SAVE THE LIFE OF A LITTLE GIRL IN INDIA today! 

And, visit IGP’s new website, www.InvisibleGirlProject.org for more info! 

October 11 is the third UN International Day of the Girl Child. This day is meant to promote girls' rights and highlight gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys.

Take Action on International Day of the Girl Child:

On this day to focus on the fundamental human rights of the girl child, we are drawing attention to the It's a Girl Action Campaign.

Please take a moment to watch this 4 minute video overview of the campaign:

Gendercide may well be the most serious human rights violation and form of discrimination against girls and women happening on earth today. Please use today to highlight gendercide and its impact on the girl child by sharing this action campaign video.

As many as 200 million girls are missing because of gendercide. Now is the time to stand up for girls and women everywhere!

Save a Girl on International Day of the Girl Child:

I Will Tell is a growing film festival which takes place in the heart of London every year from 30th August to 9th September since 2005. This year the festival celebrated its 8th year with the theme THE 'R' THING, on Relationships, with screenings of over 30 international films, inspirational post-screening discussions and festival activities all on the theme Relationship.

The festival's Closing Gala was a Tribute screening to Dr Maya Angelou (1928 - 2014) followed by an inaugural awards ceremony where they announce the Best Drama, Best Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Animation and the Audience Award for I Will Tell 2014.

Best Documentary was awarded to It's a Girl for "its in-depth exposé of a deeply harrowing subject, which a sensitive portrayal of its subjects together with an enlightened look at a complex issue created a powerful documentary that inspires and motivates." http://www.iwilltell.com/pr.html

We are so very honored and touched by this award and by the many people who were involved in the process.

Accepting the award via Skype was the film's amazing director, Evan Grae Davis.

"Congratulations to the amazing women who shared your stories, the experts and team who made this film a success! You deserve this!"

"We filmmakers really value the opportunities film festivals like yours provide for us to connect with audiences who are motivated to learn about important issues and to get involved."

Renae Hamilton of the YWCA of Kauai was joined by Patricia Wistinghausen of the PAU Violence Committee and Edie Ignacio Neumiller of the Zonta Club of Kauai in accepting a council certificate recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, organizing events to provide opportunities for the community to learn more about sexual assault and to join efforts to end this violence in Kauai.

The groups hosted a screening of It’s a Girl at the Kauai Community College, Daniel K. Inouye Technology Center on April 23 with a good audience turnout and a brief discussion of the film after the screening.

We commend the Zonta Club of Kauai, YWCA, and PAU Violence of KCC for their efforts in creating awareness of violence against women and for bringing It's a Girl to Hawaii! 

Collaborative Partners: Left - Renae Hamilton, YWCA Executive Director; Patricia Wistinghausen, Kauai Community College Campus Public Safety Manager, PAU Violence Kauai; Right - Edie Ignacio Neumiller, Zonta Club of Kauai, Past President, photo provided by Zonta Club of Kauai		Banners for Zonta Says NO & YWCA, photo provided by Zonta Club of Kauai

Group shot with partners, Zonta Club of Kauai, Zonta Club of Hanalei, Justin Kollar, Prosecuting Attorney, volunteers, photo provided by Zonta Club of Kauai

About 60 people were in attendance, photo provided by Zonta Club of Kauai

 The views expressed by guest contributors to the “It’s a Girl” blog represent the opinion of the individual author who contributes the content and should not be interpreted as being endorsed or approved by Shadowline Films. We feature these contributions to foster dialogue and exchange on gendercide and invite our readership to join the discussi

If you’ve seen It’s a Girl you know Li’s story:

Li and her husband lived in a rural village with their two daughters. Under pressure by their families to have a son, Li and her husband decided to have a third child, in the hopes that it would be a boy. When Li became pregnant again and found out it was going to be another girl, their families insisted she abort the child because another daughter would do them no good.  But Li and her husband wanted to keep their child, though she would be born illegally under China’s coercive One-Child Policy. The law restricts couples to one child, or two in rural areas if the first child is a girl to so they can try for a son. This law is strictly enforced and violations can lead to forced abortion or forced sterilization, as well as fines that would take several years salary to pay off. Li gave birth to her third daughter in hiding, with the family planning police actively looking for her. Under extreme pressure, Li and her husband fled to flee to a distant region, away from their three young daughters. They found work in a distant factory, earning what they can to send home to provide for their daughters.

Today, three years after filming Li’s story, we have news from Miss Li. She has returned to her home with her daughters and is currently raising the children on her own. She gave birth to another baby girl last year, now with a total of four daughters. Li’s husband still works in another province to make enough money to pay part of the government fines for exceeding the birth policy limit. The financial strain continues to be great on their family. Li’s in-laws are unwilling to help because she has not birthed a son.

Because we were able to tell Miss Li’s heartbreaking story in It’s a Girl, many viewers have expressed desire to help Miss Li and women and families going through similar situations.

Here is how you can continue to help Miss Li and other women like her in China:

Women’s Rights In China is the grassroots organization that helped the It’s a Girl team reach Miss Li to tell her story. WRIC has helped us get in touch with Miss Li again and has established a way to funnel a limited amount of donations to her and her daughters without putting her at risk for punishment by the government. Because of the complexities of providing direct financial assistance from outside of China, the amount that can be safely provided to Miss Li is limited. But WRIC’s network of field workers has hundreds more women and families in need of similar assistance, and any excess amount of funds received will go directly to support women pregnant with girls in China. 

Women’s Rights In China works directly in the field to
provide support for women who are pregnant with girls and
are at risk of forced abortion in China.

By making your tax-deductible donation (in the USA) to Women’s Rights In China, you are helping to provide the help women need to keep their daughters and continued support for Miss Li’s family and the many women and families just like them.

Donate today to help end gendercide in China.

Note: The link above enables you to make donations directly to Women’s Rights in China.
All funds go directly to support women and girls in China.

Big news for our followers in the US and Canada: You can now watch It's a Girl on Netflix! Please SHARE the news, continue to SPREAD THE WORD, and help make a DIFFERENCE!

As we wrap up the year, we want to highlight some of the campaign's greatest achievements that were made possible by YOU:

January 15 - Music Video Released: We announced the release of Omékongo Dibinga's music video inspired by It's a Girl! Omékongo's video brought greater attention to the global issue of gendercide and still continues to make an impact!

March 8 - International Women's Day: Eighteen groups around the globe brought respect to women and  girls by celebrating International Women's Day with a screening of It's a Girl during this week!

March 4-9 - UN Commission on the Status of Women: It's a Girl screened several times during the United Nation's Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) in New York! Governmental leaders around the world met for this event known as the primary policy-making body on the planet when it comes to gender equality and women's rights. The theme this year was the elimination of violence against women and girls.  

April 25 - Capitol Hill Screening for U.S. Congress: Bipartisan members of U.S. Congress stood with the Coalition Against Gendercide to host a screening of It's a Girl! This screening took place in the Capitol building in Washington D.C., in conjunction with the Tom Lantos Commission on Human Rights.

May 9 - TEDxGrandRapids: It's a Girl film director Evan Grae Davis was invited to speak at TEDxGrandRapids, engaging an audience of 750 leaders, influencers and innovators from the West-Michigan area. You can watch the video now, titled: How to Become a Culture-Changer.

May 28-30 - Women Deliver: It's a Girl and the It's a Girl  Music Video were screened during the Women Deliver global conferencein Malaysia.
 
September 24 - DVD and iTunes Release: you helped bring It's a Girl to a worldwide audience through DVD and iTunes!  Within one week of its release, It's a Girl hit #7 in the Documentary genre and #2 in the Foreign Films genre on iTunes! This means more people were exposed to the truth about gendercide and thus more people have joined the campaign to end gendercide!

October 11 - UN International Day of the Girl Child: It's a Girl released on more platforms on the second UN International Day of the Girl Child. This day is meant to promote girls' rights and highlight gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys.

November 18-19 - Premiere on Chinese Soil: It's a Girl screens for the first time on  Chinese soil! Amnesty International's Premiere of It's a Girl in Hong Kong was followed by a presentation from Women's Rights Without Frontiers' President Reggie Littlejohn. Littlejohn's visit demonstrates a growing international opposition to forced abortion as violence against women.

In connection with the film screening, she met with top human rights leaders, lawyers and legislators to discuss the state of China's population policy.

Thank you all for a great year in the fight against gendercide!

- The Shadowline Films Team

In recent news under the misleading headline, “China to Ease One-Child Policy,” Xinhua reports that China will now lift the ban on a second child, if either parent is an only child. This minor reform will not “ease” the One Child Policy. It will merely tweak it. The problem with the One Child Policy is not the number of children “allowed.” Rather, it is the fact that the Chinese Communist Party is telling women how many children they can have and then enforcing that limit through forced abortion, forced sterilization and infanticide. Regardless of the number of children allowed, women who get pregnant without permission will still be dragged out of their homes, strapped down to tables and forced to abort babies that they want, even up to the ninth month of pregnancy. 

Your generous gift supports Women's Rights Without Frontiers' fight against gendercide and forced abortion. WRWF is working on the ground in China to protect women who are hiding to escape forced abortions and giving much-needed financial help to mothers of baby girls.   

The more we raise, the more women we can help. If we reach our goal of $30,000 we will be able to support 100 mothers and their baby girls for a year.  

Learn more about the Save a Girl Campaign to combat gendercide in China and give to this cause on Giving Tuesday. The more we raise, the more women we can help. Donate Now

Littlejohn, an internationally-recognized expert and opponent of China’s One-Child Policy, presented after the Hong Kong premiere of It’s a Girl.

Littlejohn is featured in the film, which vividly details rampant coercion under China’s population policy. Screenings of the documentary took place at the Hong Kong Arts Centre on November 18th and 19th.

Littlejohn’s visit demonstrates a growing international opposition to forced abortion as violence against women and is a significant moment for Women’s Rights Without Frontiers.

While Littlejohn has addressed the issue before the United States Congress, European Parliament, British Parliament, United Nations and Vatican, this visit was her first time speaking against forced abortion and gendercide from Chinese soil.  Littlejohn’s remarks were broadcast into mainland China by Voice of America.

In connection with the film screening, she met with top human rights leaders, lawyers and legislators to discuss the state of China’s population policy.

“I am thrilled to come to Hong Kong at the invitation of Amnesty International, and to speak at the Hong Kong premiere of It’s a Girl.  The timing of my visit occurred just after China’s announcement that it was making a modification of the One Child Policy.  I was able to discuss with the human rights community in Hong Kong that this is not a major step forward, as touted by the media.  Rather, it is a minor modification that will not end forced abortion or gendercide in China.  We need to continue the battle to end these atrocities.  I am grateful for the warm reception I received from the Hong Kong human rights community and hope to develop friendships and collaborations with the outstanding activists I met, for years to come.”

 
Sign the Petition Against Forced Abortion in China
https://www.causes.com/chinapetition

 
Watch Hong Kong: Women’s Rights Organization Says Two-Child Policy Does Not Relax One Child Policy (Video)
http://www.voachinese.com/media/video/woman-rights-20131119/1793194.htm

www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org

 The views expressed by guest contributors to the “It’s a Girl” blog represent the opinion of the individual author who contributes the content and should not be interpreted as being endorsed or approved by Shadowline Films. We feature these contributions to foster dialogue and exchange on gendercide and invite our readership to join the discussion

Forced Abortion in China Will Continue, Despite “Easing” of One Child Policy Under the misleading headline, “China to Ease One-Child Policy,” Xinhua reports that China will now lift the ban on a second child, if either parent is an only child. This minor reform will not “ease” the One Child Policy. It will merely tweak it.

All the reasons for this adjustment are economic or demographic: China’s dwindling labor force, the country’s growing elderly population, and the severe gender imbalance. Completely absent from the discussion is the issue of human rights violations. China has not promised to end forced abortion, forced sterilization or forced contraception. The coercive enforcement of China’s One Child Policy is its core.

Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, stated: “While we are glad for the second babies who will be born under this adjustment, instituting a two-child policy in certain, limited circumstances will not end forced abortion or forced sterilization.The problem with the One Child Policy is not the number of children “allowed.” Rather, it is the fact that the CCP is telling women how many children they can have and then enforcing that limit through forced abortion, forced sterilization and infanticide. Even if all couples were allowed two children, there is no guarantee that the CCP will cease their appalling methods of enforcement. Regardless of the number of children allowed, women who get pregnant without permission will still be dragged out of their homes, strapped down to tables and forced to abort babies that they want, even up to the ninth month of pregnancy. It does not matter whether you are pro-life or pro-choice on this issue. No one supports forced abortion, because it is not a choice.

“Further, instituting a two-child policy will not end gendercide. Indeed, areas in which two children currently are allowed are especially vulnerable to gendercide, the sex-selective abortion of females. According to the 2009 British Medical Journal study of 2005 national census data, in nine provinces, for “second order births” where the first child is a girl, 160 boys were born for every 100 girls. In two provinces, Jiangsu and Anhui, for the second child, there were 190 boys for every hundred girls born. This study stated, “Sex selective abortion accounts for almost all the excess males.” Because of this gendercide, there are an estimated 37 million Chinese men who will never marry because their future wives were terminated before they were born. This gender imbalance is a powerful, driving force behind trafficking in women and sexual slavery, not only in China, but in neighboring nations as well.

“Moreover, the Chinese Communist Party periodically modifies the One Child Policy, but the coercion at its core remains. Reports of these tweaks — especially when mischaracterized by western media — throw the human rights world into confusion and blunt genuine efforts to end forced abortion in China. On September 9, 2010, for example, TIME ran the headline, “China Could Overthrow One-Child Rule.” Myriad other news sources followed suit. This dramatic headline was based on the fact that China proposed to run a pilot program allowing some couples to have two children. Soon afterwards, on September 25, 2010 – the 30th anniversary of the One Child Policy – a top population control official praised the policy and stated that China “will stick to the family planning policy in the coming decades.” Moreover, despite this pilot program, numerous reports of late-term forced abortions have surfaced since 2010, including the forced abortion at seven months of Feng Jianmei in June 2012.” For a discussion of forced abortion cases that have arisen in 2011-2012, read WRWF’s Complaint to the UNCSW. http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=717

For a discussion of forced abortion and other egregious violations of human rights in connection with coercive population control, read WRWF’s 2013 Complaint to the UNCSW. http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=1254

Read the Xinhua Report: “China to Ease One-Child Policy” http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-11/15/c_132891920.htm

Reggie Littlejohn, President
Women's Rights Without Frontiers
www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org
Stop Forced Abortion – China’s War on Women! Video (4 mins)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjtuBcJUsjY

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