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China relaxes State control of marriage: The Pioneer
Beijing, Oct 02: China on Wednesday relaxed State control of marriages, introducing a new law that removes the need for premarital medical examinations and permission from employers.
Beijing, Oct 02: China on Wednesday relaxed State control of marriages, introducing a new law that removes the need for premarital medical examinations and permission from employers.
The change from October 1 reflects the growing obsolescence of the old practice, which had "become just a formality or money-making procedure in some areas", the official Xinhua news agency said.
"It is widely regarded as a move to simplify the marriage registration process and offer more personal choices," the agency said. "Many scholars have hailed the new regulation as socially progressive and significant for human rights protection."
The new law also makes divorce easier, removing the need for employers' permission.
News of the planned change led many couples in Beijing and other cities to delay marriages until after October 1, with a rush of registrations and wedding parties expected during the October 1-7 national day holiday.
One of Beijing's largest banqueting suites has booked 278 wedding parties for October 1-6, the agency said.
The amendment to the marriage law follows 20 years of rapid socioeconomic change in Communist-ruled China, particularly affecting the lives of Chinese women.
In a recent survey quoted by Xinhua, 80 per cent of women said they believed cohabitation was acceptable if a couple loved each other.
"In the 1980s, cohabitation between unmarried man and woman was a shameful act in people's eyes," it said.
Surveys also showed that Chinese women are now less likely to put up with a poor sex life, it said.
At the same time, 71 per cent of women in Beijing said they had experienced sexual harassment, and reported cases of domestic violence against women have also risen sharply.
The All-China Women's Federation handled 36,000 "appeals for help from wives in distress" last year, the agency said, 40 per cent more than in 2001.
The federation estimates that domestic violence occurs in one-third of China's 267 million families, accounting for the break-up of some 100,000 families annually and 60 per cent of divorces.
The change from October 1 reflects the growing obsolescence of the old practice, which had "become just a formality or money-making procedure in some areas", the official Xinhua news agency said.
"It is widely regarded as a move to simplify the marriage registration process and offer more personal choices," the agency said. "Many scholars have hailed the new regulation as socially progressive and significant for human rights protection."
The new law also makes divorce easier, removing the need for employers' permission.
News of the planned change led many couples in Beijing and other cities to delay marriages until after October 1, with a rush of registrations and wedding parties expected during the October 1-7 national day holiday.
One of Beijing's largest banqueting suites has booked 278 wedding parties for October 1-6, the agency said.
The amendment to the marriage law follows 20 years of rapid socioeconomic change in Communist-ruled China, particularly affecting the lives of Chinese women.
In a recent survey quoted by Xinhua, 80 per cent of women said they believed cohabitation was acceptable if a couple loved each other.
"In the 1980s, cohabitation between unmarried man and woman was a shameful act in people's eyes," it said.
Surveys also showed that Chinese women are now less likely to put up with a poor sex life, it said.
At the same time, 71 per cent of women in Beijing said they had experienced sexual harassment, and reported cases of domestic violence against women have also risen sharply.
The All-China Women's Federation handled 36,000 "appeals for help from wives in distress" last year, the agency said, 40 per cent more than in 2001.
The federation estimates that domestic violence occurs in one-third of China's 267 million families, accounting for the break-up of some 100,000 families annually and 60 per cent of divorces.