Feminism and the Wobbly Bridge to Gender Equality in China

Feminism and the Wobbly Bridge to Gender Equality in China
Sep 29, 2011 By Andrea Scarlatelli , eChinacities.com

Heard anything about the state of feminism in China today? Chances are you haven’t, as the issue is usually, well, a non-issue, shoved to the bottom of a long list of other pressing matters in China such as class inequality and internet censorship. But the question of equal rights and privileges for women remains, lurking underneath the surface of such mundane and everyday activities such as going to work, raising a child and the handling of finances.

Towards the beginning of the last century, women in China were treated much the same way women around the world had been treated – they were given no rights, forbidden to hold positions of high authority in the workplace, and were generally treated as inferior beings. There were sporadic periods of resistance, but it wasn’t until the 1970’s that women really started kicking up a fuss. According to Gender Politics in Modern China: Writing and Feminism, women began accusing the government of interpreting “‘equality’ as sameness, and then [treating] women according to an unexamined standard of male normalcy.”

One important distinction to make when discussing the issue is that the Western concept of “feminism” is quite separate from the Chinese idea of it. Chinese culture tends to view the labels of “man” and “woman” as more social constructs than anything (Chinese Femininities / Chinese Masculinities). Western feminism, for the most part, sprung from the fierce sense of independence that part of the world tends to champion, which helped the movement there gain momentum. With such a strong and powerful dependence on the family unit in China, that sense of individuality, that “Wait a minute, there is something wrong with this situation” moment never really took hold.

Slow improvements…

But the rights of women in China have slowly improved, even if the laws enacted are still somewhat unhelpful and ignored. The 1950 “Marriage Law” demonstrates this – it  was supposed to give women rights in the case of divorce (and the ability to initiate it), rid the country of arranged marriages and forbid the selling or purchasing of brides. While the latter two practices succeeded quite modestly, the first one never really got off the ground – mainly because the idea of a woman initiating or proceeding with divorce was so shameful that the woman’s family was usually able to talk her out of it for fear of losing “face”.

While feminism is not an issue one hears about frequently in China, it does not mean that there are not those out there who strive to make a difference. The All China Women's Federation (ACWF), one of the oldest women's organisations in the country, was founded in 1949 and focuses on the advancement of Chinese women, particularly in rural areas. Their mission, in part, is "to represent and safeguard women's rights and interests and promote equality between men and women." They mainly use the United Nations as a platform in which to make their voices heard, participating since the late 1980's in the UN's Commission on the Status of Women and on Human Rights, the World Conference on Human Rights, and the NGO Forum on Women. The All China Women's Federation promotes the teaching of practical job skills and for women in rural areas has been working towards eliminating illiteracy in such areas. While the goals of the group are certainly noble, they are tightly held under government control – this gives the impression that such a group is largely about keeping up appearances, instead of a spontaneous uprising of impassioned females, as many feminist movements in the West have been. This can perhaps be seen most clearly in the group's motto: "Dedication to the motherland, law-abiding and well-disciplined;Exert oneself in work, and towards high-achievement;Exercise equality between women and men, respect elders and care for young ones; Cast off outdated customs and habits, and comply with family planning policy; Exercise thrift, and protect environment."

…and false improvements

While many more women are entering the workforce nowadays, in part due to the booming economy, there is still a struggle to accept women as equals. Various laws have been enacted to protect women in the workplace, but many wind up doing more harm than good – and come across as vaguely insulting, at that. For example, according to Margaret Woo, the 1988 Labor Protection Regulation law was meant to help women based on the assumption that they are biologically weaker and need to be treated delicately. A lighter workload for women when they were menstruating, for example, actually deepens the divide between men and women in the workplace because it creates resentment on the part of the male and a sense of frailty on the part of the female.

In modern times, we can see by the lack of females in positions of high power that feminism still has quite a ways to go before achieving true equality. It is true that, according to Forbes, seven out of the world’s fourteen self-made billionaires who are female became such in China – but only a handful are actually from China itself (most are Westerners who came to China to make a fortune). But with more and more women becoming educated, entering the workforce and technology creating a more global atmosphere, it’s only a matter of time before they begin calling for real change.
 

Related links
Survey Probes Chinese Attitudes Towards Women’s Rights
Chinese Feminism? No Thank You!
Open for Interpretation: Sexual Harassment in the Chinese Workplace

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Keywords: feminism in China women’s rights in China equality for women in China

1 Comments

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Me

This all presupposes that feminism is actually about equality, rather than gender superiority.

Dec 03, 2011 20:50 Report Abuse