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Alice Yan

A video of a woman kneeling in a shopping centre in central China, pleading with her husband to buy her a down jacket, has gone viral on social media, igniting widespread outrage against the man.
The clip was recorded in early December outside a clothing store in a shopping centre in Xiaogan, Hubei province.
In the video, the woman is seen on her knees, begging her husband to purchase a 299-yuan (US$40) down jacket for her. Meanwhile, the husband berated her for several minutes, according to a report by Henan TV.
The man, with his hands on his hips in a dismissive stance, can be heard shouting, “I won’t buy it,” throughout the footage, as noted by the report.

Further details of their conversation were inaudible in the video.
Shortly after the confrontation, the man left the scene, leaving his wife still kneeling on the floor.
The report provided no additional information about the couple.
The news rapidly gained traction online, with the incident’s hashtag being viewed 60 million times.
While many internet users condemned the husband’s callousness, the story also sparked a heated discussion about women’s financial independence.
“Such an indifferent man, why are you still with him? Why not divorce him quickly?” asked one person.

Another commenter suggested: “Sister, why not earn money yourself and spend your own money? Dignity is not achieved through kneeling. If he loves you, he wouldn’t want you to beg him for anything.”
A third user concurred, stating: “This incident highlights the importance of financial independence for women. Women should always be able to earn their own living; only then can they live with dignity and freedom.”
Li Jianheng, a lawyer based in Henan, remarked on social media that the authenticity of this incident has yet to be verified.

If it proves to be staged, those involved in the video could be accused of provoking conflict between the sexes through fabricated scenarios.
According to Li, they may face detention for five to 10 days if the social repercussions of their video are significant.
If the incident is genuine, the woman may have grounds to sue her husband and seek a division of their shared assets, Li explained.
“If the husband controls all the finances while the wife has no income, and he refuses to provide for her daily needs, she can take him to court,” Li added.

“He also needs to be aware that if he insults her or subjects her to emotional abuse, she can collect evidence of his behaviour before pursuing legal action.”
Awareness of economic independence has been increasing among women in mainland China.
A survey conducted in October among women aged 20 to 65 in Tianjin, a northern municipality, revealed that they consider financial independence to be a key factor in a woman’s happiness.


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People & Culture

Story sparks extensive discussions about women’s financial independence, which is essential for enabling them to take control of their lives


Story sparks extensive discussions about women’s financial independence, which is essential for enabling them to take control of their lives.


China husband makes wife kneel, beg him to buy down jacket in shop, sparking public outrage

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Story sparks extensive discussions about women’s financial independence, which is essential for enabling them to take control of their lives

Story sparks extensive discussions about women’s financial independence, which is essential for enabling them to take control of their lives