Thursday, December 6, 2007

Domestic Violence in China

According to a research by the All-China Women’s Federation, 30% of Chinese families have experienced domestic violence, and All-China Women’s Federation is planning to promote the issuing of a specific law against domestic violence.

Currently, seven provinces and municipalities have domestic violence identification center, and many others will set up such centers very soon. The identification result can be used as evidence in court ruling.
If these statistics were published by NOW in the US, I would take them with a grain of salt. But traditionally, Chinese men take a very dominant position in the household. Women are not permitted to contradict or argue with their husbands. A member of my staff considered very meek by most accounts made it very clear that his wife would never consider arguing with him. That isn't a bad thing where there is nothing to argue about, but raising objections can be a wise move. I would prefer to have a check and balance on certain decisions - about finances, capital expenditures, children, a number of things. Doesn't mean I'm going to like what I hear, but sooner or later some things sink in.

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