Picture this: You and your spouse have decided to part ways and get a divorce. But before you can get a divorce you need to take a quiz about the other person.
Authorities will then only approve the divorce if you fail the quiz – but if you get too many questions right about your spouse then you will have to stay married.
In some regions of China, this is now a reality.
The more you know about your spouse – including when their birthday is and what their favourite food is – the less likely it is you will have your divorce immediately approved.
This quiz has been issued in at least two provinces in China over the past year and follows a three-part format: fill-in-the-blank, a short answer section and an essay section.
It is a result of the Chinese government attempting to slow down the rapidly rising divorce rate in China. More working women are ‘feeling empowered’ to initiate divorce and last year women initiated 70 per cent of all divorces in China.
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In the first half of 2017, nearly two million Chinese couples filed for divorce – an 11 per cent increase from 2016.
Liu Chunling, an official in Lianyungang, a city in Jiangsu Province, told the Yangtse Late News that the 15-question quiz was developed in order to prevent ‘impulse divorces’.
Chunling continued: “Through the guidance of the questions, couples can reminisce on the moments of their relationship and reflect on their familial roles and responsibilities.”
Once the quiz is completed, a score of 60 points or higher means there is ‘room for recovery’ and these couples are encouraged to work on their marriage.
While the quiz is meant to make you re-consider the divorce, one particular couple’s high-scoring results caused authorities to prevent their divorce.
