Bi-Partisan Congressional Event, Wed., June 1: All Girls Allowed Launches Coalition to End Gendercide

On China's Children's Day, Members of Congress, demographic experts and leading human rights organizations sign declaration to end gendercide

WASHINGTON, May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This Children's Day, leaders from the left and the right will stand together to proclaim one truth that everyone agrees on:  Gendercide -- the systemic elimination of a particular gender -- is wrong.

This June 1st, at 1 p.m. in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room #2456 (Washington, D.C.), Members of Congress, demographers and representatives from leading human rights organizations will launch an effort to end the gendercide of girls.  The event includes the viewing of a trailer for an upcoming film on gendercide, in which an Indian mother openly reveals the graves of her eight daughters, strangled because of their gender.

Celebrating its one-year anniversary on June 1, humanitarian organization All Girls Allowed will host a brief (5 minute) film showing and press conference to discuss international security and the economic implications of a massive gender imbalance in China and India.  Demographers Dudley Poston and Nicholas Eberstadt will present research to Members of Congress, showing the link between war and a "male youth bulge", as well as the impact of gender imbalance on currency valuation (leading to trade imbalance).

In 1979 in China, 106 boys were born for every 100 girls, for an at-birth gender ratio of 106:100. The following year, China implemented its strict One-Child Policy which, combined with traditional preference for boys, has led to selective abortion and abandonment of girls.  Today in China, the gender ratio has risen to 120:100 with no sign of dropping and the Chinese government reports that there are 37 million more men than women.  India's cultural preference has also lead to the disappearance of millions of girls.

"It's important for world leaders to see gendercide is not just a women's rights issue, but it also leads to trade imbalance, insecurity and a threat to peace," says Chai Ling, founder of All Girls Allowed.

"More and more economists are speaking up about China's increase in private saving.  The drop in Chinese marriages brings the drop in consumption, and until it changes, we will see little change in our trade and exchange rate with China."

China's military spending continues to rise, at 12.9% per year since 1989. Historical research shows that countries with a large "male youth bulge" such as China have shown increased aggression and violence. Crime rates have nearly doubled in China over the last 20 years and the "bachelor bomb" keeps ticking.

Ling concludes, "Human rights heroes have been persistent in this movement to stand up for girls in China.  This press conference is an important time to connect new leaders from various backgrounds in economics, politics and finance.  Our leaders need to understand how this tragedy is affecting all of America today."

"Together, whether we are pro-life or pro-choice, Democrat or Republicans, we can all agree that the systemic elimination of girls simply because they're girls is a crime that has to be stopped. We are thrilled to work with U.S. leaders to discover root causes of gendercide, to understand the tragedy, and to explore solutions.  We hope and pray to one day work with China's and India's leaders to end gendercide worldwide."

The signing of a declaration to end gendercide will conclude the conference.  For full details and a list of signatures, visit www.allgirlsallowed.org/declaration .

Who:

• Nicholas Eberstadt, demographer and political economist who holds the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute; Senior Adviser to the National Bureau of Asian Research;
• Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), 1-term member with an interest in military affairs, Member of the House Committees on Armed Services and Agriculture
• Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), 9-term member and advocate for women, Member of the House Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security
• T. Kumar, Amnesty International Director of Advocacy for Asia and the Pacific
• Chai Ling, Founder of All Girls Allowed and former leader in the Tiananmen Square Democracy Movement;
• Congressman Joe Pitts (PA-16), 8-term member and longtime human rights advocate, Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
• Dudley Poston, Jr., Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M University; Adjunct Professor of Demography at People's University of China and Adjunct Professor of Sociology at Fuzhou University
• Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), 16-term member and champion for human rights, Senior Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman of its Africa, Global Health and Human Rights Subcommittee
• Zhang Yuhong, Forced Abortion Victim of the One-Child Policy

When:  Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 1 p.m.

Where:  Rayburn House Office Building, Room #2456 (Washington, D.C.)

Contact:  Tessa Dale (Director of Communications): 617-275-9176, www.allgirlsallowed.org .

SOURCE All Girls Allowed

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