An advertisement centered around “leftover women” in China has gone viral, provoking an emotional debate about single women in the country.
The issue of unmarried females, “sheng nu” or leftover women, has been a topic of concern in a societies that primarily prioritizes marriage and motherhood for women more than their career.
In a statement to the BBC, SK-II President Markus Strobel said the advert was part of “a global campaign to inspire and empower women to shape their destiny”.
“The film brings light to the real-life issue of talented and brave Chinese women feeling pressured to get married before they turn 27, for fear of being labeled ‘sheng nu'”. He also said the company was adopting “a positive approach in helping women face pressures”.
Ending on a positive note, the advert sees the single women and their parents visiting a “marriage market”. These “markets” are usually a place for parents to leave posters listing the details of their unmarried children, in the hopes of finding a match.
However, in this case, the parents are shown posters of their daughters, with positive messages for their parents.
In one poster, a woman tells her parents: “I don’t want to get married just for the sake of marriage. I won’t be happy that way.”
“I am opposed to the term ‘leftover woman’,” says another, with her mother adding: “The ‘leftover men’ need to try harder.”
By: Archa Dave
