Murders of two women spark backlash in China against marriage

The dismembered remains of 28-year-old socialite and model, Abby Choi, were found last week, PHOTO: XXABBYC/INSTAGRAM

BEIJING (Reuters): Two high-profile murders of women have provoked a backlash on Chinese social media over the government's promotion of marriage, with many people arguing that women are afforded too little protection from domestic violence.

A 24-year-old woman in rural Henan province was stabbed to death by her husband during a "family dispute" last week, after which he was arrested, authorities said on Monday (Feb 27).

In the semiautonomous city of Hong Kong, the dismembered remains of 28-year-old socialite and model, Abby Choi, were found last week, leading to the arrest of her ex-husband and two of his family members on suspicion of murder.

ALSO READ: Four in court over grisly murder

The murders of the women from opposite ends of the social spectrum rocked social media, with a growing number of people questioning government calls for marriage and more babies to offset a demographic crisis in rapidly aging China.

"If you don't get married, you're beaten by your boyfriend. If you're married, your husband beats you. If you're divorced, your ex-husband beats you. What has become of this world?" one member of the public wrote on the Weibo platform.

"Not marrying and not having kids is indeed the safest," said another person who posted.

ALSO READ: Four family members and a mistress: Who are the five linked to HK model Abby Choi’s grisly murder?

The Weibo hashtag "24-year-old woman died after being stabbed eight times by her husband" logged more than 200 million views on Tuesday alone. Media said the victim in Henan, surnamed Yang, had two young children.

Social media videos circulating on Monday showed dozens of angry residents of the victim's hometown clashing with police, although Reuters was unable to verify the location of the footage.

Traditional notions of marriage and family obligations remain strong in China even though many younger people are beginning to question this, citing unaffordable childcare, inadequate support for working mothers and individualistic aspirations.

This is partly reflected in a rising divorce rate.

Some social media posters highlighted the difficulty of leaving abusive marriages after the introduction in 2021 of a mandatory 30-day "cooling-off period" for couples wishing to divorce.

Many also criticised "prioritising men over women", a conservative mindset common in parts of rural China, which gave rise to a stark gender imbalance in China's population due to sex-selective abortions during decades of the one-child policy.

The country has about 722 million males compared to 690 million females, leaving millions of "bare branch" bachelors unable to wed.

China's population fell last year for the first time in six decades.

The two murders are the latest incidents to raise angry questions about the treatment of women.

Last year, reports of a mother of eight found chained in a shed in Jiangsu province and the widely shared video of a group of female diners being beaten by several men in the northern city of Tangshan provoked outrage and debate over violence against women.

The incidents come at a sensitive time for the government, which will this weekend commence its annual legislative sessions, where a new leadership team under President Xi Jinping will be unveiled.

At such times, authorities are particularly keen to suppress public debate that might threaten social stability.

China last October passed a new women's protection law targeting gender discrimination and sexual harassment, although it also calls on women to "respect family values".

The legislation came as activists expressed concern about increasing government rhetoric promoting traditional women's roles, viewed by some as a setback for women's rights.