NEW YORK -- Although it is under-recognized and underreported, it is one of the most significant epidemics in China today. It is gender violence, manifested essentially as violence against women. This kind of violence occurs in all regions in China. It affects families of all ethnic backgrounds and social spheres, and it impacts not only families but society as a whole.
According to a national survey, one-third of the country's 270 million households cope with domestic violence, both physical and psychological. A survey carried out by the China Law Institute in Gansu, Hunan and Zhejiang provinces found that one-third of surveyed families had witnessed family violence, and that 85 percent of victims were women. Because not only men but many women consider violence as normal part of family life, only 5 percent among those surveyed said that their marriage was unhappy.
A survey conducted by the All-China Women's Federation found that domestic violence in China takes place predominantly in rural areas, in young families and in households with lower educational levels.