Your current location:HOME >world >Shanghai Weighs Options to Tackle Birthrate Decline 正文
TIME:2024-05-21 17:41:46 Source: Internet compilationEdit:world
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom
A nurse takes care of a newborn baby at Gansu Provincial Maternity and Childcare Hospital in Lanzhou. [Xinhua] |
Legislators and political advisers in Shanghai are urging stronger support measures to increase people's willingness to have children, as the city's total fertility has dropped to a level severely lower than the internationally recognized standard.
Giving families with children, especially two or three offspring, higher tax allowances, providing enterprises better tax deduction support when they pay their part of women employees' social security while they are on maternity leave, and offering better and affordable infant and toddler care services before the kids reach kindergarten age are the main suggestions made during the ongoing annual sessions of the city's legislative and political advisory bodies, which will last through Saturday.
The latest Shanghai Health Commission data showed that Shanghai's total fertility rate was 0.7 in 2022, meaning that each couple had an average of 0.7 child, one of the lowest nationally.
It is recognized internationally that a couple needs to give birth to 2.1 children so that the population number of the next generation will equal that of the current. The figures for Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul are 1.12, 1.09 and 0.63 respectively.
Among Shanghai residents with children, 29.5 percent had two children and 4.5 percent had three. Those having a Shanghai hukou, or permanent residence, showed a lower desire for more children, with 24.3 percent having two offspring and 1.8 percent with three.
Local lawmaker Zhang Hua suggested families, especially women, with children be given a higher tax allowance for personal income, which should increase with the number of children.
"Every mother's dedication to their children ought to be better seen and recognized by society. Women bear a heavier burden between the roles in career and family than men," said Zhang, who is also chairwoman of the Shanghai Women's Federation.
Legislator Han Wei said that more policies will be unveiled to alleviate concerns for enterprises to recruit women of childbearing age, which will also make it more friendly for women in the job market.
"I found in my research that many small and micro-sized enterprises are reluctant to recruit young women, as such businesses are often sensitive to operating costs, weak in anti-risk ability, and have a small number of personnel," said Han, who is also chairwoman of Shanghai Qidi Entrepreneurship Incubator.
"So I suggested that enterprises with women employees on maternity leave or with a certain proportion of women employees of fertile age have tax privileges," she said.
Legislator Cai Jingjing said that the lack of a social support system for the care of infants and young children aged below 3, and the gap between the time children get off school and parents get off work, are still concerns for some to start a family.
She urged for more public, reliable resources with government subsidies to help parents take care of young children at lower costs.
(Source: China Daily)
32.3KPlease understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf is spotted on the streets of Gavin and Stacey's hometown Barry2024-05-21 17:34
Sound relations built on 70 years of friendship2024-05-21 17:16
Xictionary: High2024-05-21 17:11
Xictionary: High2024-05-21 17:09
Trump accepts a VP debate but wants it on Fox News. Harris has already said yes to CBS2024-05-21 15:56
Nation's efforts to ensure food security praised2024-05-21 15:36
China champions peace, development, confronts jackals, wolves head on2024-05-21 15:33
Works from Fine Arts Exhibition of Chinese Women Artists2024-05-21 15:29
Yvette Fielding says her Most Haunted co2024-05-21 15:25
China donates medical equipment to local hospital in Tanzania2024-05-21 15:09
Travis Kelce downs whiskey shot on slice of bread at Kelce Jam without Taylor Swift2024-05-21 17:28
Romance of Spring: Cherry Blossoms Meet Beauty of Traditional Chinese Costume2024-05-21 17:08
Xi's visit before Spring Festival touches hearts2024-05-21 16:54
Lawmakers vigilant of use of AI in fraud2024-05-21 16:48
Shooting injures 2 at Missouri high school graduation ceremony2024-05-21 16:38
China, Norway share common goals at ministerial meeting2024-05-21 16:38
Councilors vow to explain Article 23 to HK residents2024-05-21 15:47
China's foreign trade starts on steady note in 20232024-05-21 15:40
US overdose deaths dropped in 2023, the first time since 20182024-05-21 15:30
Chinese peacekeepers to DRC awarded UN Peace Medal2024-05-21 14:59