"I'm hoping to find another single mom to share an apartment with, so we can take care of each other, said a popular post on Xiaohongshu, a platform known overseas as Rednote. If our children are around the same age, that would be even better they can be companions. Those raising kids alone know how tough it is; sometimes you're so busy you barely have time to eat."
"There are an estimated 30 million single mothers in China. Divorce rates are about four times higher than they were 20 years ago, despite government efforts to discourage it, and mothers take custody in more than 80% of family breakdowns. There are legal obligations around child support, but a significant proportion of single-mother families in first-tier cities live below the poverty line, according to government data."
"Zhu Danyu and Fei Yuan, both single mothers, have lived together in Nanjing since 2022. At the core, we both know very clearly why we're together it's about sharing and managing the risks and pressures of life, Zhu tells the Guardian. Zhu and Fei first met when Zhu was looking for collaborators on her education start-up business. Both women were divorced, Zhu with two daughters and Fei with one."
Single mothers in China are using social platforms to find like-minded parents to share homes and child-rearing responsibilities. An estimated 30 million single mothers face increasing economic pressure as divorce rates have quadrupled in two decades and mothers receive custody in over 80% of separations. Legal child-support obligations exist, yet many single-mother households in major cities remain below the poverty line. Informal online networks and housemate-seeking posts are growing as a practical response. Examples include women who form shared households to manage daily care, companionship for children, and the broader risks and pressures of life.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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