Misogyny and Violence in Chinese Culture : Domestic Abuse and the One-Child Rule
Written By: Norlena Piseth | April 14, 2022
Anyone who has ever visited China on vacation would, at the very least, agree that the country has one of the most intricate and rich cultures in the world. From hundreds of delicious dishes, to records upon records of ancient and modern history, the country has much to boast about. However, this country lacks a few things; in this case, the respect and dignity that’s owed to its women. China is as famous for its beautiful landmarks as it is for its misogyny, the indulgence of domestic violence, and the degradation of a woman’s social status.
While younger generations have taken up different ideals from their ancestors, the lack of regard for women remains apparent in everyday life. Progress is slow — almost unbearably so — but it is happening, especially on the matter of laws against domestic violence. While it should have happened much sooner, China made abuse against an intimate partner illegal in 2016. They attempted to further awareness by way of education, and it was partially effective. People were aware of all the crimes committed in relationships, but that was mostly through media coverage of violent cases. One that caused national outrage and horror was the case of Lhamo.
Lhamo was a Tibetan woman who worked as a farmer, as well as a live streamer. Her then husband, Tang Lu, had a tendency to physically abuse her, and authorities were reluctant to get involved in their “family affairs.” This led to their divorce in June 2020, and Tang Lu would pressure her to remarry during the months prior to the crime. In September of 2020, while Lhamo was doing one of her livestreams, her ex-husband came up behind her, poured gasoline and set her on fire. She died two weeks later. He was sentenced to death in October 2021, and was allowed to meet his family before execution. This case would never have happened if authorities had stepped in in the first place, and helped Lhamo place a restraining order against Tang Lu. This is the purpose and goal of China’s law against domestic violence, but unfortunately, it was never applied.
Despite the vulgarity of this case — and many more — it merely scratches the tip of China’s gender inequality, which shined brightest during China’s notorious one-child policy, that was implemented in 1980 and ended in 2016. To have more children than what was allowed would lead to punishment by way of paying a high “social maintenance fee.” Chen Guangcheng, a lawyer who interviewed multiple women and their families during this time, stated: “The doctors would inject poison directly into the baby’s skull to kill it. Other doctors would induce artificial labor. But some babies were alive when they were born and began crying. The doctors strangled or drowned those babies.” This era was a troublesome one for couples, as the policy was extremely strict.
The limit on birth would reveal truly just how little China cared for its daughters. The multitude of infanticide (often female), infant abandonment, and the almost violent preference for sons continues to alarm those who choose to read about this time. Not only was this harmful mindset adopted by the general public, it was also promoted by the government. In their compromise for rural couples, should they have a daughter as the first child, they are permitted to try again for a son. This implies a daughter is less valuable than a son. Orphanages would see a rise in girls, as families see no use for daughters. Some would even resort to murdering the baby girls in the cradle to avoid punishment by the government, such as paying a fee and potentially losing their jobs.
In an unexpected turn, the lack of women in China would somehow raise the economic status of women. Urban couples who had a daughter and could not resort to murder, abandonment, abortion, would raise their daughter to the best of their abilities, and give her education and more economic resources. Another effect would be the lack of brides. Due to the relative scarcity of women, brides would be able to charge their hand in marriage for a higher price.
Deeply rooted in China’s culture, misogyny continues to plague the country, as violent crimes against women are indulged by authorities and the government. How far some people would go to hurt a woman should never be an everyday occurrence, and should never be just another story on the news. The world does not need violent sons and it certainly does not need dead daughters.
