The Documentary Podcast The Fifth Floor: China's empty maternity wards
Jan 11, 2025
Eunice Yang, a BBC Chinese journalist, discusses the alarming closure of over 400 maternity wards in China while revealing the underlying issues of declining birth rates influenced by historical policies. Yuna Ku shares insights into South Korea's underground tattoo industry and the unique challenges faced by female tattoo artists amidst legal hurdles. Jelilat Olawale celebrates Ghana's kente fabric gaining UNESCO status, emphasizing its cultural significance and need for preservation. Together, they explore profound societal shifts impacting women across Asia and Africa.
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Story's Origin
- Eunice Yang's story began with a casual observation about her friends' reactions to pregnancy announcements.
- The common response, often jokingly, was "Why?"
Declining Birth Rates
- China's birth rates have been declining, leading to the closure of maternity wards.
- This decline follows the abolishment of the one-child policy in 2015.
One-Child Policy's Impact
- The one-child policy, enacted in the 1980s, was abolished in 2015 due to falling birth rates.
- A brief boom followed, with over 20 million births in 2017, before declining again to 9 million in 2023.