The murders of two women in China have sparked protests against the regime and its encouragement of marriage

Two high-profile murders of women sparked a Chinese social media backlash against the promotion of marriage by the government, and many people say they receive too little protection against domestic violence.

In the rural province of HenanA 24-year-old woman was stabbed to death by her husband during a “family dispute” last week, after which he was arrested, authorities said on Monday.

In the semi-autonomous city of hong kong The dismembered body of 28-year-old model and socialite Abby Choi was found last week, leading to the arrest of her ex-husband and two of his relatives on suspicion of murder.

The murders of these women on opposite ends of the social spectrum have rocked social media, with growing numbers questioning government calls for marriage and more children to counter the demographic crisis in a rapidly aging China.

“If you don’t get married, your boyfriend hits you. If you are married, your husband beats you. If you divorce, your ex-husband beats you. What has become of this world?”, writes a citizen on the Weibo platform. “Not getting married and not having children is the safest thing to do”says another person.

A Weibo hashtag about the death of the woman who was stabbed eight times by her husband was viewed more than 200 million times on Tuesday alone. Media said the victim from Henan, surnamed Yang, had two young children.

Videos circulated on social media on Monday showing dozens of angry residents of the victim’s hometown clashing with police, but the news agency Reuters could not verify where the footage was filmed.

Traditional notions of marriage and family obligations remain strong in China, but many young people are beginning to question them, citing the inability to pay for child care, inadequate support for working mothers and individualistic aspirations.

This situation is partly reflected in the increase in divorces.

Some posters on social media highlighted the difficulty leaving abusive marriages following the introduction in 2021 of a mandatory 30-day “reflection period” for couples wishing to divorce.

Many have also criticized the “prioritization of men over women”, a conservative mindset common in parts of rural China, which has led to a gross gender imbalance in the Chinese population due to selective abortions according to the sex for decades. one-child policy.

The country has some 722 million men against 690 million women, leaving millions single.

Chinese population descended last year for the first time in six decades.

The incidents come at a delicate time for the government, which will begin its annual legislative sessions this weekend, during which a new leadership team will be announced under the chairmanship of Xi Jinping.

China passed a new law in October to protect women from gender discrimination and sexual harassment, but also urges women to “respect family values”.

(By Laurie Chen – Reuters)

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