Impact of rural-urban migration on sending community women's attitude towards gender equity and reproductive health in rural China

Background: It is known that recent fertility preference and reproductive health behavior in rural China are heavily influenced by traditional son preference culture. The traditional son preference culture is so persistent that the one-child policy has to allow for many rural families to have a second birth if the first one is a girl. Along with a dramatic economic reform, China's policy makers caution that further relaxation of current one-child policy may drive the existing policy-induced low fertility up under a strong son preference tradition, especially in rural areas. Objective: This study aims to examine the possible impact of rural-urban migration, a key economic reform component, on sending community women's attitudes towards gender equity and reproductive health behavior in rural China. Data and methods: Multilevel logistic regression models is used to analyze data from a multistage sample survey of 3,118 women aged 16-40 in rural areas of Sichuan and Annhui Provinces conducted by the Center of Population information in 2000. This study assesses the migration effect on five outcome measures of women's attitudes towards gender equity and reproductive health behaviors by taking into account individual- and community-level characteristics. Findings: Returned rural-urban migrant women were more likely to comply with one-child family without son preference, to expect high level of education for girl, to have a self-decision for marriage, to be involved in decision for family planning, and to use skilled birth attendants, compared with those who did not migrated. Conclusion: The important policy implications of the findings will be discussed.