A recent survey by the All-China Women's Federation reveals that one-third of Chinese families cope with both physical and psychological domestic abuse. The violence is notable on all levels of society; according to the Guangdong Municipal Women’s Federation, 111 out of 548 cases of household abuse involved members with a college education.
This high rate of domestic violence has been linked to the high rate of suicides committed by women within China. Approximately 157,000 women kill themselves every year in China. The rate of suicide by women is three to five times higher in rural areas, where the idea that women ought to be subordinate to men is well-accepted. One survey, which focused on rural women, found that in a sample of 260 women who committed suicide, 66% had experienced domestic violence.
While China’s constitution includes equal rights for women, legal acknowledgement of domestic violence is relatively recent, and more work is needed specifically toward prevention of domestic violence. In that vein, Chinese experts have called for strengthening domestic violence laws, increasing funds for women’s shelters, and promoting gender education to help change the perception of abuse as an expected element in family life.
Compiled from: For Too Many, Domestic Violence Part of Family Life, Inter Press Service, (14 October 2010).