Women Roles In China

Traditional and Contemporary

Traditional
● Confucianism emphasized on sons which led to disappointment at the birth of daughter.
● After Confucius, discussion on gender in terms of Yin and Yang.
● The classic of confucius “Book of Rites” stresses the value of segregation even within
home.
● Han Dynasty: Family head was generally male. If man dies before the son is grown,
female became head. Men could divorce woman on 7 grounds: barrenness, jealousy,
talkative but only if she has a family to return to.
● Writing on virtue on women should cultivate. “The biographies of exemplary women”
● By Song Dynasty: Widows ran inn, pious women chanting sutras, nuns
explain Buddhist Doctrine, girls learned to read with their brothers.
● But as Neo-Confucian came, status of women decline: pressure on widows
not to remarry, Foot Binding
● Early Qing Dynasty: widow chastity gained strong hold, especially in
educated class. Childless widows might even commit suicide . Confucian
scholar often disapproved the widow suicide, but would admire the
determination, hence spreading.
● Women’s literary went up
Contemporary
1954 & 1982 constitution provides equal right

Since 2000s, development of “harmonious society”, benefited to

women as they got access to health, education, social security
and employability

More females were enrolled in primary education. Women with

no education fell to 6.6% rural and 3.5% urban.

Though still faced problems like: unemployability, lower salary,

many jobs reserved for men, discrimination, promotion issues.