醫聲論壇

Asians are marrying later,and less,than in the past.This has profound

implications for women,traditional family life and Asian politics.

*Conservatives in the West are fond of saying that traditional family

is the bedrock of society.That view is held even more widely in Asia.

*Most East and South-East Asian report little or no cohabitation.

The exception is Japan where , among women born in 1970,about

20% say they have cohabitated with a sexal partner.It,s a big

change for this country.

In China ,the migration of millions of young men and women from

countryside to cities is changing family life profoundly.

It has pushed up the divorce rate because migrant workers returned

home to find that their partners have grown apart.

58m of children of migrant workers were being brought up hundred

of miles away ,in their parents,s village ,usually by grandparents.

*male:female ;born in 2010= 118:100

*The 1st change is that people are getting married later,often much

later.In the rich parts, Japan, South Korea,Taiwan and Hong-Kong-

The mean age of wedlock is now 29-30 for women,31-33for men.It,s

older than in the West.

In America, women married at about 26, men at 28.

*The 2 nd change is that, among certain groups, people are not

merely marrying later,they are not getting married at all.

In 2010 , 1/3 Japanese women entering their 30s were single.

Perhaps half or more of those will never marry.

****In 2010,37% of all women in Taiwan age 30-34

were single,as were 21% of 35-39 y/o.This is more than

Britain and America,where only 13-15% of their late 30 were single.

An educated choice ???

*Rate of non-marriage rise at every stage of education.

Marrying up ????


*In most Asian countries, women have always been permitted-even

encouraged to ''marry up '' ie, to a man of higher income or

education.

It was necessary in the past when women can,t get education and

the literacy rate was low.

But now that many women are doing so well or better than men at

school, those are top -like ''golden misses;;-finding the marriage

market unwellcoming.

In Singapore,non-marriage rates among the female university

graduates are stratospheric : 1/3 of30-34 y/o are single.

The lost brides.

The reluctance of women to marry,together with the men,s

continuing desire for a wife , is already producing a surge of cross-

border brides.

27% of Taiwanese marriage in 2002 involving foreign women.
Many girls are illiterate teenagers sold by their family to older, richer

foreigners.Back in their home village,therefore, young men ,s

marriage chances are low.

44% of farmers in South Jeolla Province in South Korea who married

in 2009 took a foreigner bride.

If China or India were ever to import brides on this scale, it would

spread sexual catastrophe throughout Asia,------hard to avoid in the

forseeable future.