Pictures of China Girls, Women Living in China

Photos by Debbie Stock 

There are less girls in China than boys, less women than men. This is also true in India. These two most populated countries in the world have a serious woman shortage caused largely by sex-selective abortion. Gender discrimination with preference for boys & men in China stems from the belief that men will typically earn more money and take care of their parents financially in old age.

When one child was permitted to each married couple, a couple was allowed to try a second time to have a boy when the first born was a girl. Due to a steep decline in birth rates, China scrapped its decades-old one-child policy in 2016, replacing it with a two-child limit which failed to lead to a sustained upsurge in births. In 2021 it was announced that couples could have three children. The cost of raising children has deterred many Chinese couples. 

Chinese society's favoring of boys & men may help explain why the country has the highest suicide rate for women of any place on earth. It's the only country where females exceed males in suicides.

In addition to isolation and seeing no way out of their marriages when pre-arranged, rural women and girls have more difficulty in breaking the cycle of abuse that can occur.

Women & Girls in China
A recent survey of 4,000 Chinese career women under the age of 30 delved into their preferences for marriage or remaining single. Over 57% want to get married before age 30.

About two-thirds of women said that being single is the result of failure to find a mate. When choosing a potential spouse, 54% sought mates who shared common interests; 37% seek partners with a solid career and financial security; and only 1% choose a mate based solely on physical appearance.

Chinese Single Girls
35% are insecure or lonely
31% pressured to get married
25% worried, beauty will fade.

Next photo: Besei Pagoda in Suzhou