China is renowned for its rich and vibrant culture, ancient traditions and practices. But a new advert has unveiled the dark side to being a woman in modern day China – the curse of being one of the “leftover women.”
That’s because being an unmarried woman over 25 comes with a huge societal stigma (known as sheng nu), with many seeing these individuals as incomplete and leftover.
Now, luxury beauty brand SK-II has released a video highlighting this issue, as part of a “global campaign to inspire and empower women to share their destiny.”
The ad hears from several parents talking about their daughters, with one mother saying critically: “She is just average looking. That’s why she’s leftover.”
In another moment, one of the ‘leftovers’ breaks down in tears as she expresses how sorry she is for her failure.
Women who are unmarried after 25 are seen as leftover in Chinese society
Other parents can be seen attending a ‘marriage market’ during the clip, where they post resumes of their eligible children.
But the video has a positive spin, as it then shows single unmarried women taking over the marriage market – showing their parents how they want to wait for the right man and are happy being single.
One mother even comments after seeing her daughter’s message: “The leftover men need to try harder.”
