Americans have been getting married later and later in their lives over the last few years. Now, the average age for a marriage is 27 for a woman and 29 for a man. It is becoming more acceptable to get married later.
Unfortunately, unmarried women in China do not have their society’s acceptance. They even have a label for them: “sheng nu” or “leftover woman.” This is used to describe women who are over the age of 25 and unmarried.
Skincare company SK-II has a new line of products in its Change Destiny campaign. They released a four-minute ad challenging this hurtful term for “leftover women.” They would like to replace it with the term “power women.”
China even has “Marriage Markets,” where parents post their children’s profiles. It’s kind of like a meat market for people. The women that are not married feel pressure from society to find someone, even if it is not someone they love.
One of the parents even says (TO HER FACE) that their daughter is not very pretty and tell her that is why she is leftover. One father says that his daughter being unmarried is a “heart disease” for him. He said that in front of his daughter! This is a horrible way to treat your children.
These women show their parents that they still deserve love and respect. They went to the Marriage Market and posted pictures of themselves with quotes about being unmarried. The parents seem to be converted by this, and change their mind on the subject. One parent says that the “leftover men” need to be shown these pictures. One mentioned feeling like a powerful woman, and she wants to wait for someone she loves. One of the ladies admitted that she loves her single status and feels more free without a spouse.
Hopefully, this ad will bring attention to the movement and stop women from being labelled as “leftover.”
Featured image is a screengrab via YouTube.
