A 17-year-old girl in Guangdong Province has reported her parents to women’s rights authorities, claiming they were forcing her into an unwanted marriage.
A 17-year-old girl in Guangdong Province has reported her parents to women’s rights authorities, claiming they were forcing her into an unwanted marriage. According to media reports, Xiaoxian (pseudonym) had been forced to drop out after middle school and work with her parents. While holed up at home during the Covid-19 pandemic, Xiaoxian said her parents became preoccupied with marrying her off. Despite Xiaoxian’s protests and desire to attend high school, her parents persisted. Eventually, they forced Xiaoxian to meet with a man and endure a wedding photo shoot with him. But on the day before their scheduled wedding, Xiaoxian ran off and turned to a local women’s rights federation, which finally helped her get out of the marriage. Netizens said that many rural families still favor sons and believe their daughters should marry early and praised Xiaoxian for having the courage to stand up for herself at a young age.
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