Yifan Shi

College Writing 9C
Short report final draft

Status of Women in China

Introduction

Gender equality is an ever-evolving issue around the world. Advocators believe that, while men
and women are born physically different, they should share equal rights and responsibilities in
the society and be treated equally in education, politics, and employment. However, the actual
situation is not optimistic enough. Data from the World Bank (2017) show that, between 2010
and 2016, the gender equality rating declined year by year, from 3.435 to 3.24. It requires the
joint effort of governments and the United Nations alike to promote gender equality and improve
the status of women.

In China, gender equality was written in the constitution in 1954. Since then, the government has
brought in legislation to ensure equal rights between males and females. Achievements are made
during the years, but at the same time, many problems remain unsolved. This report examines the
status of women in China by focusing on three aspects: womens access to education, political
participation and economic independence.

Access to Education

As a general trend in China, more and more women have access to education, especially in
secondary and higher education. Since the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China
(PRC), relevant legislation has led to a boom in female education. Bailey argues that, the
legislation after 1978, such as the Compulsory Education Law of 1986, helped to expand the
enrollment of women in secondary education level (as cited in Sinha Mukherjee, 2015).
According to the World Bank, the rates of Chinese women enrolled in secondary education
surpass that of men (as cited in Sinha Mukherjee, 2015). For example, in 2006, the educational
attainment of males in upper secondary education was 16.5%, while that of female was 18.7%.
The percentage rose to 16.6 and 19.9 of males and females respectively in 2010 (Sinha
Mukherjee, 2015). Clearly, a more rapid increase can be seen in the educational attainment of
females in upper secondary education.

However, females are still left behind by males in higher education. According to the data from
National Bureau of Statistics China (2015), women accounted for approximately 52.4% of the
Masters degree graduates, while only 42% of the graduates in Doctors degree were females.
This shows that, in China, gender equality in the field of education is still not completely
achieved.

Political Participation
Improvement can be seen in Chinese womens political participation over the years. A good
example is to examine the number of female representatives in the National Peoples Congress of
China (NPCC), which is held every 5 years. In 1954, when the first NPCC took place after the
PRC was established, women represented 12% of all the representatives, and the percentage
climbed to 22.6% in 1975, during a period of 20 years (Zeng, 2014). However, the figure almost
remained the same in the following years, with only a slight rise in the 12th NPCC (2013), which
was 23.4% (The Beijing News, 2016). Until quite recently, womens participation in politics still
lagged far behind that of their male counterparts.

When it comes to top levels of Chinese political structure, women are even more disadvantaged.
For example, women only occupied 6.37% in the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist
Party, between 2007 and 2012 (Zeng, 2014). Since the standard created by the United Nations
for the proportion of women in political structure is 30%, there is still a long way for China to
improve womens political participation.

Economic Independence

While resent years see the steady increase of Chinese economy, women employment rates in
China, unfortunately, are showing an opposite trend. As is shown by the International Labor
Organization (ILO), between 1990 and 2014, female work participation rate dropped 9%, from
73% to 64% (Erdenebileg, 2016). A comparison of female and male employment rate shows that,
since 2000, the gap between the two has widened significantly, with employment rate of women
plunging during a five-year period and reaching the bottom in 2005 (Chi & Li, 2013). Similarly,
according to Chi and Li (2013), the gap between men and women mean earnings also widened,
despite the fact that both of them increased during this period.

Given these facts, the economic status of women in China is not very optimistic. The
government is working to make the guarantee of equal employment opportunities between
women and men (Permanent Mission, n.d.). During a period of five years starting from 1998,
2.5 million women got re-employed, thanks to the small-sum credit loans offered by womens
federations nationwide (Permanent Mission, n.d.). Such efforts in China contributed to womens
economic independence.

Conclusion

Generally speaking, the status of women in China is moving in the right direction, with more and
more women getting access to education and finding their places in political structure. However,
gender equality in China has not yet been achieved, since in upper educational and political
levels, women are still the minorities, and the condition of employment and payment in work
place is even poorer. Thus, to further improve female status and attain gender equality in China,
there is still much to be done.
 References

Chen, L. & Dai, X. (2016, March). Rates of Female Representatives in National Peoples
Congress Increased 11% in 59 Years. The Beijing News. Retrieved from
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/graphic/2016/03/07/396273.html

Chi, W. & Li, B. (2014). Trends in Chinas gender employment and pay gap: Estimating gender
pay gaps with employment selection, Comparative Economics, 42(3), 708-725. Retrieved
from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jce.2013.06.008.

Erdenebileg, Z. (2016). Holding up Half the Sky? Assessing the Current State of
Female Employment in China. China Business Review, 1-1. Retrieved from
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=19&sid=81ed00ae-5dbe-461f-ae61-
710f51b41ce7%40sessionmgr103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=1178998
47&db=mth

National Bureau of Statistics China. (2015). Number of Postgraduate Students by Academic

Field. Retrieved from http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/ndsj/2016/indexeh.htm

Permanent Mission of the Peoples Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva
and Other International Organizations in Switzerland. (n.d.). Gender Equality and Women's
Development in China. Retrieved from http://www.china-un.ch/eng/rqrd/jblc/t210715.htm

Sinha Mukherjee, S. (2015). More educated and more equal? A comparative analysis of female
education and employment in Japan, China and India. Gender And Education, 27(7), 846-
870. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2015.1103367
The World Bank. (2017). CPIA gender equality rating. Retrieved from
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IQ.CPA.GNDR.XQ

Zeng, B. (2014). Women's political participation in china: Improved or not? Journal of

International Women's Studies, 15(1), 136-150. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1504068942?accountid=14496
Target Grammar Application Sheet (TGAS)
Filling out this sheet will help make visible your application of the target grammar for this assignment. For each
item, write three examples from your paper that show how you applied the target grammar. Include this sheet
with your final draft.

Assignment name: Short Report

Target Grammar: Using academic language, old-new information flow, verbs that indicate change

Examples Explanation/ details

Using Academic Language
It requires the joint effort of governments and the Use the word require instead of need.
United Nations alike to promote gender equality
and improve the status of women.
This report examines the status of women in China Use aspects instead of things.
by focusing on three aspects:
the gap between the two has widened Use significantly instead of largely.
significantly,
old-new information flow
Since the establishment of the Peoples Republic Legislation is repeated from the former
of China (PRC), relevant legislation has led to a sentence to the latter.
boom in female education. Bailey argues that, the
legislation after 1978, such as the Compulsory
Education Law of 1986,
According to the World Bank, the rates of Chinese Secondary education is repeated from the
women enrolled in secondary education surpass former sentence to the latter.
that of men (as cited in Sinha Mukherjee, 2015).
For example, in 2006, the educational attainment
of males in upper secondary education was 16.5%,
while that of female was 18.7%.
A good example is to examine the number of Representatives is repeated from the
female representatives in the National Peoples former sentence to the latter.
Congress of China (NPCC), which is held every 5
years. In 1954, when the first NPCC took place
after the PRC was established, women represented
12% of all the representatives,
language to indicate change (from EOAW chapter 2 or 3)
The percentage rose to 16.6 and 19.9 of males and Use rise for increase in amounts.
females respectively in 2010 (Sinha Mukherjee,
2015).
, and the percentage climbed to 22.6% in 1975, Use climb for increase in amounts.
during a period of 20 years (Zeng, 2014).
, with employment rate of women plunging Use plunge for a downward movement.
during a five-year period and reaching the bottom
in 2005 (Chi & Li, 2013).
Student Error Log
Name: Yifan Shi
Assignment 2:
Sentences with Errors
example: after the thief
robbed, he ran himself away
quickly
As a general trend in China,
more and more women are
having access to education,
especially in secondary and
higher education.
According to World Bank,
the rates of Chinese women
enrolled in secondary
education surpass that of
men.
Until quite recently,
womens participation in
politics still lags far behind
their male counterparts.
, there is still a long way
for China to amplify the
political participation for
females.
Description of Error/ Explanation and Remarks Correction
Correction Symbol
transitive vs. intransitive 'to rob' takes an object After the thief robbed the
verbs woman,
'to run' in intransitive- no
object he ran away quickly.
word form Present progressive tense is As a general trend in China,
used less with have. more and more women have
access to education,
especially in secondary and
higher education.
article Should be the World Bank According to the World
Bank, the rates of Chinese
women enrolled in secondary
education surpass that of
men.
verb tense and sentence Past tense should be used in Until quite recently, womens
structure this situation. That should participation in politics still
be added before their male lagged far behind that of their
counterparts, referring to male counterparts.
participation.
word choice Amplify is not accurate. , there is still a long way
for China to improve the
political participation for
females.