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Why is the legal age for marriage for men higher than for women
Time:2025-09-01 Views:745
The legal age for marriage is the age that must be reached for marriage according to the law. There is a relevant regulation in the Book of Rites: men should marry no more than thirty, and women should marry no more than twenty. From a natural attribute perspective, when males reach the age of 16 and females reach the age of 14, they mature and begin to have fertility. Shouldn't we get married and have children? But in reality, reproduction is just one aspect. When people live in society, there is another more important attribute factor to consider, which is social attributes. The Marriage Law stipulates that the statutory age of marriage is a comprehensive consideration based on natural attributes and social attributes. Only when marriage reaches a certain age can suitable physiological and psychological conditions be met, and marital obligations and family and social responsibilities be fulfilled. Therefore, according to Chinese law, the age of marriage for men shall not be earlier than 22 years old, and for women shall not be earlier than 20 years old.
The legal age for marriage in Chinese Mainland shall not be earlier than 22 for men and 20 for women. The legal age for marriage in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan is not earlier than 18 for men and 16 for women. The legal age for marriage stipulated in China's 1950 Marriage Law is 20 years for males and 18 years for females. Therefore, it is stipulated that 'men shall not be earlier than 22 years old, and women shall not be earlier than 20 years old'. In this revision of the Marriage Law, some comrades suggest unifying the age of marriage for both men and women into one standard, either 22 years old or 20 years old.
The provisions of the Chinese Marriage Law regarding the age of marriage are not mandatory or optimal, but rather the minimum age for marriage, which sets the age limit between illegal and legal marriages. Only those who have reached the legal age of marriage can get married, otherwise it is illegal. The legal age of marriage does not prevent men and women from voluntarily postponing their marriage according to their own circumstances. In order to implement China's family planning policy, the Marriage Law also encourages late marriage and childbirth. It is inappropriate for some units to use the marriage age that enjoys preferential policies instead of the legal marriage age. If the marriage age is not reached, it is not approved for both men and women to get married. The law advocates for late marriage, rather than forcing it, and does not mean that getting married later is better. In order to ensure strict law enforcement on the issue of marriage age, the "Regulations on the Administration of Marriage Registration" stipulate that "if the parties applying for marriage are unable to obtain the required certificates due to interference from their units or others, and the marriage registration authority confirms that they indeed comply with the provisions of the Marriage Law and these Measures, they should also be registered and issued a" Marriage Certificate "
The legal age for marriage in most countries is mostly 18 or 16 years old. The United Nations Human Rights Commission believes that the legal age of marriage should not be less than 15 years old. However, due to factors such as religion, ethnicity, race, region, and fertility policies, especially in Muslim countries, the legal age for marriage is generally low. China is currently the country with the highest legal age for marriage in the world, with men not exceeding 22 years old and women not exceeding 20 years old.
The provisions of the new Marriage Law regarding the legal age of marriage have not changed and still maintain the legal age of marriage stipulated in the 1980 Marriage Law, which is stipulated in Article 6 of the Marriage Law: "The age of marriage shall not be earlier than 22 years for men and 20 years for women." The legal age of marriage refers to the minimum age for marriage stipulated by law. That is to say, both men and women cannot get married before reaching this age, and only those who reach or exceed this age can get married. As for the maximum age for marriage, there is no limit. The nature and characteristics of marital relationships require that both male and female parties must reach marriageable age. Only in this way can they have the necessary physiological and psychological conditions to make judgments when dealing with marriage matters, and to assume their responsibilities to the family, children, and society after marriage. The legal age for marriage determined by the Marriage Law, which is 22 years old for men and 20 years old for women, takes into account both the physical and mental development of young men and women, as well as the national population control and the acceptance of urban and rural residents, and is in line with China's national conditions.
The above content briefly analyzes why the legal age of marriage for men is higher than that for women. You can learn that in China, both men and women need to register their marriage before they can become husband and wife. However, according to the Marriage Law of China, the age of marriage for men cannot be earlier than 22 years old, and for women it cannot be earlier than 20 years old. These are all legal knowledge that needs to be understood. If you have any other questions to consult, please feel free to consult with Fanneng Law Firm. Sichuan Faneng Law Firm is dedicated to serving you.