Chinese Woman Denied Divorce Sparks National Debate on Gender Bias

Public outrage has been ignited in China as a court denied a woman, already a mother to six daughters, her request for divorce from her husband. The husband insisted that she continue bearing children until she gives birth to a son.

In a patriarchal society where sons are often more valued than daughters, this case has triggered a significant discussion about gender bias and women’s rights.

The woman, referred to as Xiong from Hunan province, Central China, has been on the receiving end of massive public sympathy after the court ruled against her wish to divorce her husband, known as Ou. Not only did the court reject her plea for separation, but it also ordered her to return home and cater to her family, as reported by Sina News.

Xiong and Ou had four daughters before their formal marriage in 2015. Following their marriage, they had twin girls. Xiong has expressed how the task of raising six daughters has left her physically and emotionally drained.

She also stated her shock at realizing that her husband regarded her merely as a childbearing tool, as he allegedly told her she must keep having children until she produced a son. In 2019, having reached her breaking point, Xiong sought refuge with her parents, severing all contact with Ou and their daughters.

In June of the current year, Xiong filed for a divorce in a local court, stating her marriage with Ou had become untenable. However, the presiding Judge, Tan Mengsi, criticized Xiong for not fulfilling her “role” of raising her daughters and claimed that she had failed to provide adequate proof of her marriage’s deterioration.

The court’s refusal of Xiong’s divorce petition and its order that she return to care for her six daughters and undertake other unspecified familial responsibilities has sparked a wave of criticism on Chinese social media.

The case has reopened discussions about gender biases rooted in China’s traditional mindset dating back to ancient times, favoring boys over girls. Recent census data released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics shows that this gender disparity persists, with a population of 723 million men compared to 689 million women in 2020. The imbalance is even more apparent in the traditional marriage age range of 20 to 40, where men outnumber women by 20 million.

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