Young, old pains in remarrying

China's divorce rate is increasing every year since records began. Last year, the divorce rate rose 8.8 percent from the previous year, according to a report released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs last week. In 2009, 24.24 million people in China officially exchanged marriage vowels while 2.47 million people divorced.

Tang Jun, a social development and policy researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, quoted in China Daily, pointed to a regional survey conducted by his team, which showed extramarital affairs have become a rising cause of divorce in the country, particularly in large cities. While this may seem like an occasion for feminists in China to celebrate and a step in the right direction toward women's rights, Tang goes on to say this is because "rural women had better tolerance of extramarital affairs compared with their city counterparts."

Better tolerance of extramarital affairs? "Tolerance" is not an accurate description of the situation rural women face. Rural women are more likely to be described as voiceless and trapped. While China's marriage law grants equal rights to women in marriage and family life, often women accept emotional and physical abuse to avoid being laughed at by villagers and save the family name.