The latest step taken by authorities to raise the declining birth rate in the nation is the creation of pilot programs in more than 20 locations to promote a "new-era" marriage and birthing culture.
The initiatives to encourage women to marry and have children will be launched by China's Family Planning Association, a national organization that carries out the government's population and fertility policies, according to the Global Times on Monday.
The programs' main goals, according to the Times, are to encourage marriage, childbearing at the right age, parental responsibility sharing, and the reduction of exorbitant "bride prices" and other old-fashioned practices.
The manufacturing hubs of Guangzhou and Handan in the Chinese province of Hebei are also included in the pilot. The Times said that the organization has already started projects in 20 cities, including Beijing.
"Society needs to guide young people more on the concept of marriage and childbirth," demographer He Yafu told the Times.
The initiatives are part of an abundance of initiatives that Chinese provinces are launching to encourage individuals to start families, including tax breaks, housing aid, and free or heavily discounted third-child schooling.
China maintained a rigorous one-child policy from 1980 to 2015, which contributed to many of its demographic issues and allowed India to surpass China as the world's largest populated nation. Since then, the number of permissible children has been increased to three kids.
In order to boost the nation's fertility rate, the government's political experts stated in March that unmarried females should have the option of egg freezing and fertility treatments such as IVF, among other services. They were worried about China's rapid aging and first population decline in 60 years.
Due to the cost of child care and having to interrupt their employment, many women have decided against having more kids or any at all, with gender discrimination being a significant barrier.
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