Gender Bias and the “Marriage Squeeze” in China, South Korea and India 1920-1990: The Effects of War, Famine and Fertility Decline

China, South Korea and Northern India have commonalities in their kinship systems which make for discrimination against female children. Discrimination was heightened by war, famine and fertility decline. During 1920-90, India has had the quietest history, while China experienced the most war and famine, with sharp rises in discrimination. This generated very different "marriage squeeze" in China and India during these decades, with a surplus of men in China and of women in India. We argue that these demographic changes have had several social ramifications. In marriage payments, brideprice remained the norm in China while there was a shift to dowry in India. The age gap between spouses reduced, which reduces inequality in marital relations. The burden of "marriage squeeze" falls disproportionately on the poor. Women's social powerlessness exposes them to violence in both situations: dowry-related violence in India, and in China being kidnapped and sold to men desperate to find a wife. Due to fertility decline and rising discrimination against girls, China and South Korea will soon experience the maximum shortage of wives, and India will have a surplus of men. Thus problems of dowry may diminish in India. [author]