The Position of Women in China
Centuries ago, the role and status of women all over the world in relation to politics was the same. They were all not expected to become leaders as it was a belief that women should always be subordinate to men. Before the 20th century, the case in China was no different since women were considered to be unequal to men. Many changes have taken place today as a result of the effects of globalization. This has led to a change in the women’s rights along with the gender hierarchy. This change affects all aspects including their workplace and domestic lives. The women of today are living and enjoying the fruits of the fights by those in the past. Today most women can run for office in politics, they can assume leadership positions in big companies, they can pursue education to any level they want, they have freedom of marriage among many other things which was once nothing but a dream.
The Difference between China’s Communist Society and the West
China’s communist government lacked transparency. Despite the fact that it approved the formation of women’s rights groups, it still did not act according to their expectations. According to Dunayevskaya (1977), some of the members of the Chinese women’s groups argued that the government was still not willing to treat their liberation as reality but as a dream which was to be achieved in future. This was because the government seemed to misinterpret equality as a sense of sameness between man and woman something which the Chinese did not quite believe (Edwards, 2008). This is why they differ from the West, where people believe that man and woman are both real categories. The Chinese believe that they are nothing but socially constructed categories. The Western governments have embraced change by creating laws which curb the oppression of women. The women are allowed to participate politically despite the fact that they were once considered subordinate and unfit to rule. They are also allowed to make their own decisions on issues affecting their lives such as marriage.
The rise of feminism in China is a response to the oppression of a patriarchal society rather than a consequence of political reform. This is because without oppression the women would not feel the need to fight for their rights. Before the political reforms were made, there were specific individuals who were already fighting to be treated fairly (Dunayevskaya, 1977). The women hoped to be offered the same opportunities as the men when it came to education and employment (Chen, 2006). Before the approval of women’s right groups by the government, most females had to suffer silently by being submissive to the men in their lives. This included the father, husband and the son. They were not allowed to work just as they were not given an opportunity to go to school. The marriage life of a Chinese woman was not based on love as it was arranged by parents of the bride and groom. After this, the main role of the wife was to produce and care for the kids. The Chinese women longed for the day when such oppression would end, they all wished to get married to a man whom they loved and not someone who was picked by their parents. The bodies of the Chinese women were also tortured just to please men. An example is the foot binding process which featured the breaking of the woman’s feet. The women also suffered from trafficking whereby they were kidnapped and sold miles away to men who would hold them captives in their homes.
Mao’s Influence on Women’s Suffrage
According to Dunayevskaya (1977), Mao had a positive effect on women in China. It was with his new policies that he influenced the end of women’s suffrage. This communist vividly claimed that it was women who held up a greater percentage of heaven and therefore abolished foot binding. Foot binding was one of the Chinese practices which affected women such that they could not leave home and others got involved in outlawed prostitution. While there were some issues about he women that he did not support, like birth control, he still encouraged equality between men and women. He created laws which would protect the youth, women and children and their interests (Dunayevskaya, 1977). This law provided scholarship assistance to students who were unable to afford paying for their studies, it helped the young and the women to organize themselves so that they became capable of participating in all work which was useful in the progress of the country, and lastly it granted women freedom of marriage and ensured equality (Peerenboom, 2007).
Ever since this time, the role of women in the society of China has changed. Today, women can be found in various professions which were once considered strictly for men. In the workplace, both genders work side by side in what seems like an equal footing. Their equality in marriage today is also evident in that they do not need to stay at home and look after children as was the case before (Chen, 2006).
Over a period of 30 years, the position of women has changed drastically. The booming economy has seen to it that most women are urbanized and educated (Dunayevskaya, 1977). This is also one of the reasons why women today are also contributing greatly to the economy by owning big businesses as well as getting employed in high ranks of companies. Today, women can get involved in politics and even win elections because the mentality that women cannot become leaders is slowly fading away (Ko & Zheng, 2007). Many are becoming successful leaders today. In China, the struggle is still eminent as women try to win the trust of men that they can become leaders. Although changes have taken place, china is still struggling on the concept of equality.
The Chinese women today are still somewhat different from the Western women (Peerenboom, 2007). The fact that their lives have changed is evident, however they are still not as liberated as one would expect. China is a heavily male dominated area which gives the Chinese women a hard time (Dunayevskaya, 1977). The Chinese women today have already claimed the right even after marriage, to retain their maiden names. They can choose who to marry without the forced interference of parents. Some of the marriage rules which were unfair have already been done with. The Chinese woman of today can pursue education, which the fruit of their hard fight against being discriminated on education levels. The ability to acquire education led to the fight of equality at workplace. Today, the women can take up any profession which men are taking without being discriminated. This has resulted to super rich Chinese women since they can now earn their own salaries (Dunayevskaya, 1977). Although these women have achieved so much, they are still fighting to claim freedom in other areas of life. The Chinese woman has never held a high position in politics (Chen , 2006). They are still often discriminated by men since the thought of being ruled by a woman is still a controversial issue in China. Their domestic life is also not similar to the West. Even though the Chinese have been offered equality in marriage, they are still stepped on by their husbands back at home (Dunayevskaya, 1977). The Sexuality and reproductive rights of women in China have also changed. The One child policy which limited parents to having specific number of children resulted to too many females resulting to abortion which was risky. There is sexual imbalance in China because of this policy.
Conclusion
The Chinese women’s positions have changed especially because of globalization. The creation of human rights movements in China has greatly facilitated the changes which took place. These movements would state the kind of oppression which was inhuman and fight until the communist government acted upon their request for change. Most of the practices which led to their oppression have now been banned. Their lives are much easier even though they are still to win the fight against inequality in other sectors. The women can now become leaders and own their own business, which has also helped to promote their growth and financial stability. Most women in China today are part of the rich community unlike before when they totally depended on their husbands for support.
Reference
Chen, T. J. (2006). “Feminist China”. Literature.org. Literature Web. 12 November 2013.
Dunayeveskaya, R. (1977). Sexism, politics, and revolution in Mao’s China. Detroit: Women’s liberation, News and letters Committees.
Edwards, L. P. (2008). Gender, Politics, and Democracy: Women’s Suffrage in China. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP.
Ko, D., & Zheng, W. (2007). Translating Feminisms in China. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.
Peerenboom, R. P. (2007). China Modernizes: Threat to the West or Model for the Rest? Oxford: Oxford UP.
