‘Don’t follow blindly’: Chinese university student, 24, with baby defends her choice but cautions others not to copy her
- Many were critical, saying the woman should not be allowed to have a child as it would affect her studies, prompting her to defend herself in a response video
- In China, the legal marriage age is 22 for men and 20 for women and a ban on university students marrying by the Ministry of Education was removed in 2004
A 24-year-old university student in southern China with a baby is at the centre of debate on mainland social media after claims by some that women should not be allowed to marry and have children while studying.
The woman, surnamed Li, is a fourth-year student at Guizhou Minzu University in Guizhou province who went viral after posting videos of her daughter playing on campus earlier this month, Xinmin Evening News reported.
Li and her 30-year-old husband married two years ago, and Li fell pregnant at the end of 2021 when she was a second-year university student.
In a follow-up video posted on May 22, Li responded: “I think since we have been married and my husband’s financial situation allowed us to have a baby, why not? Should we abort it and hurt my body just because I’m a student?”
Li said she has help from her mother-in-law, who takes her daughter while she is at the campus dormitory and preparing her thesis paper.
She added that her academic scores are ranked top in her class, and the video showed several certificates and awards she has won at university.
However, she advised other women studying to assess their situation carefully when considering having a baby and not to blindly follow others.