There are two aspects of gender inequality; one of which is affected by population growth and the other by culturally induced economic factors. 

Population growth in China, for example, has had a huge impact on sex selection as the result of its one-child policy that is aimed at reducing the country’s population explosion. 

The unintended consequence of China’s one-child policy, along with cultural imperatives of having children as old age protection, has pressured parents into an economic decision.  In those areas boys generally make more money than girls, and are thus considered more economically viable for the parents. 

That combined with technological advances that have allowed easy and cheap pre-birth sex identification and nearly unrestricted abortions, have essentially fostered a cultural and economic preference for male births. 

The price for female births has been catastrophic.  More than 160-million Chinese female babies have been aborted in favor of males skewing the fertility ratio to rates never imagined with coming corollary difficulties of immense concern.    

Sex Selection

Jonathan V. Last’s recent book review titled “The War against Girls” of Mara Hvistendahl “Unnatural Selection” in “The Wall Street Journal” is ominous. He cites China, India and Korea as countries with policies that have severely affected female birth inequality. In all three cases, economics is the key factor in sex selection, although the impetus is a little more intertwined in China.  The one-child policies revealed a problem.  Chinese daughters traditionally take a dowry upon marriage never to contribute to her birth family’s financial care.  However, were groom’s to provide a dowry to the daughter’s parents as a protection against old age, this disparity might be reversed.

Historical world statistical norms for births show one-hundred girls are born for every one-hundred-four to one-hundred-six boys being born (more boys die before child rearing years than girls.)  It is a standard comparison for all cultures and world locals, that is, until population control requirements and cultural economic forces combined with amniocenteses and ubiquitous abortion allowances, significantly changed natural birth ratios.   

New figures have shown startlingly skewed fertility ratios in several countries.  Ironically, Ms. Hvistendahl blames western policies and bans of abortions as the causes for the problem and apparently ignores the fact that sex identification and abortions have never been more easily obtained in most countries.

In Islamic countries, Muslim religious and cultural norms have had their impact on females too, essentially depriving women of options from education and family planning of any sort.

Economic Inequality

Population size is not the primary factor in controlling gender inequality.  Population gender ratios, cultural, religious and educational factors are much more crucial in determining financial equality for women.  Many less developed countries highly restrict women’s education and options.

Live birth and survival statistics also reveal that developed countries provide more equality for women.  High child survival rates, as in developed countries, generally leads to lower multiple births.