The Leftover Women of China
The one-child policy in China has contributed to the many problems within Chinese society, which seem to only have surfaced recently. Chinas attempt to control its enormous population has ended up giving birth to a generation of self-centered citizens, countless unmarried men and a hand full of ‚¬leftover‚¬" women. Chinas censored and state-run media begin using the term ‚¬ShengN‚¬" around 2007 in order to refer to these women who have passed the age of 30 and are still single. That same year, the Chinese authorities warned that China is now suffering from a serious gender imbalance, due to selective abortions propelled by the one-child policy.
Government Statistics data shows there are now about 20 million more men under 30 than women under 30. In fact, around two in every ten women between the age of 25-29 are currently unmarried. This situation is due to the fact that modern Chinese women are more likely to invest in education and pursue a career, rather than live as a housewife. The number of women entering the universities and achieving Master and PhD titles is at an all time high. With so much time invested in their studies, some modern Chinese women are often letting marriage pass them by. Ever since 2007, the state media has aggressively criticized these ladies in surveys, news reports and cartoons. They have basically stigmatizing educated women over the age of 27 or 30 who are still single, making them shame themselves of their status.
This situation is further aggravated by the general mentality of Chinese men and Chinese society. In China, most men want to feel at least equal, but preferably superior to their wives. There is a tendency for Chinese men to ‚¬"marry down‚¬ both in terms of age and education. A class A man, will usually look for a class B woman and a class B man, will usually marry a class C girl and so on. This leaves the class A woman at a mos unprivileged position, although the proportion of unmarried men between 27-30 years of age is over a third higher.
Despite the criticism in the media, it's the "A-quality" of intelligent and educated women that the government most wants to procreate. The efforts to help these women find suitable matches has been enormous. Some local governments have even started organizing matchmaking events, where educated young women can meet eligible bachelors. The idea here is not only to improve the gene pool, but also to reduce the number of restless, single men who could cause social chaos.
The tendency to look down on women older than 27 years old, who are still single is not exclusively an attitude left entirely to the government. Many families in China will look down upon this. In some extreme cases, a girl might even be ignored by her family. Some traditional families, especially in rural China, will often feel ashamed of telling others that they have an unmarried daughter.
This is, without question, one of the great differences between China and the west. As modernity continues to tap into the ancient ways of China, its society will also continue to suffer to the consequences of change.
Government Statistics data shows there are now about 20 million more men under 30 than women under 30. In fact, around two in every ten women between the age of 25-29 are currently unmarried. This situation is due to the fact that modern Chinese women are more likely to invest in education and pursue a career, rather than live as a housewife. The number of women entering the universities and achieving Master and PhD titles is at an all time high. With so much time invested in their studies, some modern Chinese women are often letting marriage pass them by. Ever since 2007, the state media has aggressively criticized these ladies in surveys, news reports and cartoons. They have basically stigmatizing educated women over the age of 27 or 30 who are still single, making them shame themselves of their status.
This situation is further aggravated by the general mentality of Chinese men and Chinese society. In China, most men want to feel at least equal, but preferably superior to their wives. There is a tendency for Chinese men to ‚¬"marry down‚¬ both in terms of age and education. A class A man, will usually look for a class B woman and a class B man, will usually marry a class C girl and so on. This leaves the class A woman at a mos unprivileged position, although the proportion of unmarried men between 27-30 years of age is over a third higher.
Despite the criticism in the media, it's the "A-quality" of intelligent and educated women that the government most wants to procreate. The efforts to help these women find suitable matches has been enormous. Some local governments have even started organizing matchmaking events, where educated young women can meet eligible bachelors. The idea here is not only to improve the gene pool, but also to reduce the number of restless, single men who could cause social chaos.
The tendency to look down on women older than 27 years old, who are still single is not exclusively an attitude left entirely to the government. Many families in China will look down upon this. In some extreme cases, a girl might even be ignored by her family. Some traditional families, especially in rural China, will often feel ashamed of telling others that they have an unmarried daughter.
This is, without question, one of the great differences between China and the west. As modernity continues to tap into the ancient ways of China, its society will also continue to suffer to the consequences of change.
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