Rise in single mothers reflects changing face of Chinese families

Divorce rates up as women become more self-aware, but support for them insufficient

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BEIJING - Once defined by tradition, the concept of a modern family in China is evolving as more women choose to navigate life as single mothers, with independence as their compass.

Along the way they are redefining motherhood, balancing responsibility with freedom, and proving that fulfillment comes in many forms.

Four years ago, there were about 30 million single mothers in China, according to statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. In families in which the parents are divorced, only one in six fathers chooses to raise their children, meaning that 83 per cent of these families are headed by single mothers, the data showed.

"The rising divorce rate is largely driven by women's increasing self-awareness and emotional disconnection in the digital age, yet society's support for single mothers remains insufficient," said Ms Li Jiao, a counselling psychologist.

Almost two in three, or 64.6 per cent, of single mothers hesitate to disclose their single-parent status, the 2018 Living Conditions And Needs Of Single Mothers in Ten Cities report said. This is due to concerns about being judged or criticised by those around them, the respondents said.

When it came to acknowledging that their children were from a single-parent family, 50.5 per cent of single mothers worried their child might be perceived as flawed, while 37.7 per cent were concerned their child would be excluded by their classmates.

"Single mothers face several key psychological challenges after divorce: internalised self-doubt due to societal bias, emotional withdrawal from the loss of a partner and deep guilt over their children's well-being," said Ms Li.

She believes to better support single mothers post-divorce, society has to redefine family norms, set up relevant community services and government-led psychological counselling hot lines, and introduce preventive interventions.