The lives of Chinese women over the years have changed greatly because of the advent of the Qing Dynasty, changes of the Republican era, the reforms of the communist party, and the creation of the People’s Republic of China. Today, these women live a much more different life than they did in years gone by. Here are some facts on life for Chinese women today.
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JoinUnlike their historical counterparts, contemporary China girls and women have a more equal place in the society. The early Qing Dynasty introduced gender equality among Chinese women. This was a huge step forward for China in terms of political and social progress. The reforms of the Qing Dynasty established the first civil code in China that discriminated against gender inequality. Furthermore, the introduction of Confucian classics restored and protected traditional gender roles. Today, a woman’s place is no longer as lower than a man’s in any aspect of life including political, social, and religious activities.
Another significant development that affected Chinese women during the last few decades has been the ethnic discrimination against them within the Chinese community. Since the mid-19th century, most of the Chinese people had been brutally oppressed and discriminated against by the national government and its ruling class. Although most of these unfortunate victims were victimized by Chinese minority groups within China, there have been several cases of widespread abuses against all China women regardless of ethnicity or religion.
Most of these cases happened in the rural areas where the poor farmers were compelled to practice gender norms for survival. Rural Chinese women were subjected to various forms of physical and mental abuse. Many of them lost their ability to conceive because they were unable to fulfill the role of a wife and mother. Some of them were even murdered due to their inability to conform to gender norms. Most of them were simply erased from the record books of their community and history.
These stories highlight the vulnerability of rural Chinese women and highlight the current state of gender inequality in China. There are various reasons for the emergence of gender disparity in China. The first and foremost reason is the condition of China’s economy and the rapid development of the Chinese menial sectors. As this happened, there was a rapid influx of rural migrants into the cities became overcrowded leading to huge gender imbalance.
In the face of such threats and complexities, gender-traditional China still practices certain gender norms. Chinese women still prefer to marry a much older man over a younger man. They still want to be submissive and keep the family intact despite being educated and advanced. All-china women still adhere to traditional gender roles such as staying in the same house and staying married. The only change that they have experienced is that they now have to endure very competitive rates for finding a husband or a job.
Some Chinese women from the rural areas migrate to the cities for employment or for the purpose of looking for husbands. This influx of rural Chinese women to the cities has led to a major imbalance in the gender ratio. This has led to increased number of all-china marriages mainland China. To remedy this problem, the Chinese government has introduced many policies that aim to promote all-china marriages.
Many Chinese women have also adopted new Western traditions and values such as freedom, enterprise, and independent thinking. However, majority of them still adhere to traditional gender roles. For them, these social norms are more important than other contemporary trends and lifestyle changes. Whatever be the changes in Chinese society, Chinese women still value their all-china wives and hold the same sentiments towards all other women.