The government of Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, plans to open a new shelter for victims of domestic violence where both men and women will be accepted.
The center welcomes all victims, not only women, children and the elderly.
"Adult male victims can also seek help from us," an official with the Chengdu relief station told Chengdu Business Daily.
The shelter also said female victims can take their underage children to the shelter, which will make arrangements for assistance from social workers and other professionals and may even help find foster families if necessary.
The Chengdu support center will begin operations in March and will offer legal, employment, health and mediation aid to victims, who can stay in the center for up to 10 days, Chengdu Business Daily reported Sunday.
The news came as China prepares to enact its first anti-domestic violence law on March 1. The law defines domestic violence as both physical and psychological harm inflicted upon one family member by another, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Male victims of domestic violence usually suffer psychological violence, Cai Yiping, a Beijing-based domestic violence expert, told the Global Times.
About 2 percent of the 1,845 domestic violence complaints received by the Women's Federation in Sichuan in 2015 were made by men, Chengdu-based West China City Daily reported in January.
Cai suggested that domestic violence shelters should also offer help for gay men and women who may be victims of violence by their partners. She said the law should protect victims in any intimate relationship, including but not limited to marital relations.
Many other cities in China have also launched support centers for domestic violence victims, including Shanghai and Guangzhou.
