Since China relaxed the one-child policy and is now encouraging families to have two children, there was speculation that Ma’s family was concerned about her ability to carry a second child if she were given the C-section. Chinese culture's obsession with having both a daughter and (especially) a son is evident in the Chinese language: the Chinese character for "good" is made of a "girl/daughter" and a "son."

It seems to me that a reproductive female's ability to bring forth life is actually a liability that diminishes her.