gender inequality in china


Economic development demands that a country must expand socially and politically and China is no exception as the culture and ruling structures are changing … Gender Inequality in China Read More » Therefore, the promotion of gender equality and the overall development of women is not only of great significance for China 's development, it also has a special influence on the efforts for the advancement of mankind. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, it is of great significance to revisit the spirit of the conference and the commendable history of women's rights development in China. Sadly, gender discrimination has worsened in China. /VCG. In 2005, in China, 6.72% of men and 5.63% of women received post-secondary education. Required fields are marked *. The maternal mortality rate has continued to fall, from 61.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 18.3 per 100,000 in 2018, achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals ahead of schedule. By the 1990s, gender disparities in China were concentrated in poor rural areas, and among poor households, where children compete Recent statistical evidence also reveals women earned 70% of what men earned in China from 2010 to 2012. (If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. “China has seen a rollback of female rights, as Leta Hong Fincher vividly portrayed in her ground-breaking 2014 book Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in Modern China. Editor's note: Li Wen is an associate fellow from Women's Studies Institute of China, All-China Women's Federation. Most nurses at the forefront fighting against the COVID-19 in China are women. BY OLIVIA A. HALSALL. Mao Zedong’s famous phrase “Chinese women hold up half of the sky” symbolises China’s commitment to gender equality. When China, under a centrally planned system, was among one of the poorest countries in the world, its achievements for women in human development outcome indicators and gender equality surpassed many middle-income countries. Additional roadblocks perpetuate these inequalities. They are inclined to achieve intrinsic satisfaction outside household responsibilities, particularly in terms of job motivation and economic autonomy. The percentage of female entrepreneurs in the new economy has been rising, with women accounting for 55 percent of entrepreneurs in the Internet sector. The basic ideas of gender inequalities are come from unfair gender stereotypes, and it can not be easily eliminated or destroyed. Nevertheless, it must be noted that there are still enormous challenges to the full realization of the development goals for women outlined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. This further emphasized the importance of women’s rights, including participation in decision-making, access to education, and marital rights. Only women part of noble families had any rights. gender inequality during China’s economic transformation through a careful examination of three areas: employment opportunities, income and unpaid labor. On 28th June 2012, The Standing Committee of the Fifth People’s Congress of Shenzhen Municipality passed the “Regulation of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone on the Promotion of Gender Equity”. More specifically, disparities exist in the distribution of educational resources nationwide, as well as the availability of education on … Of its total population of 1.3 billion, women account for about half. The nation ranks 103rd out of 149 countries for gender equality, slipping from last year’s 100 out of 144, according to an annual report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Friday.. That puts China behind Myanmar, Romania and Russia. Sadly, gender discrimination has worsened in China. Recent statistical evidence also reveals women earned 70% of what men earned in China from 2010 to 2012. 2014 ) shows that while gender inequality in schooling in China has narrowed substantially over time, gender disparity in earnings has worsened over the past few decades. Gender Inequality in Urban China. While more women participate in the labour market and share the financial responsibilities of their families, an increasing number of their marital partners mitigate their household duties correspondingly. This article seeks to highlight the extreme differences between progress made and the inequalities women in China still face every day in order to determine just how far the feminist movement within the country has come. Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over the summit and put forward four proposals on promoting gender equality and the all-round development of women. Having said that, however, educated Chinese women have progressively been influenced by western individualism and self-actualization. In 2018, the illiteracy rate among the female population aged 15 and above was 7.5 percent, a decrease of 16.6 percentage points from 1995. Women now take 48.8 percent professional and technical jobs, 33.4 percent R&D jobs, including 54.9 percent medical and scientific R&D jobs. Maoism, Gender Equality, and Contradictions. Jason Hung, “Gender Equality in China” (OxHRH Blog, 9 September 2017) [Date of Access], Your email address will not be published. For instance, the official retirement age for Chinese women is at least five years earlier than men, which reduces their potential earnings. Gender inequality is ingrained into China’s culture and seems to be present for women in every aspect of their lives. For example, they take a quarter of leading positions in companies, up from only 10 percent in 1995. In August 2005, the State Council Information Office published a white paper entitled ‘Gender Equality and Women’s Development’. ), Copyright © 2020 CGTN. 2014 ) shows that while gender inequality in schooling in China has narrowed substantially over time, gender disparity in earnings has worsened over the past few decades. In 2015, women's average life expectancy was 79.4 years, an increase of 8.9 years from 1990. These women and Chinese authorities have increasingly been aware of the importance of gender equality. Susan Greenhalgh (1985) argues that, “Traditional Confucian China evolved some of the most patriarchal family systems that ever existed.” In recent times, however, legislative progress and a change in attitudes are starting to displace this patriarchy. Whether at school, university or in the workplace, young women in China are grappling with gender inequality. Under the influx of western culture, better-educated Chinese women pursue individualistic values, including freedom of choice, individual and independent judgment, and self-fulfillment. As a result, gender equality in China has been enhanced. As for this assignment, the primary connections of readings Markets and Bodies: Women, Service Work, and the Making of Inequality of China by Otis and Red Lights: The Lives of the Sex Workers in Postsocialist China by Zheng are discussed.The connection is the discussion of the gender inequalities from the service perception among women. The right to education is a basic human right and an important way to realize the equal development of men and women. It has been a traditional custom since decades ago which symbolises the love parents have towards their daughter(s) – when their daughter gets married, parents will have to gift her with a dowry. More and more women have gained access to higher education. If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Sonali Jain-Chandra published a striking chart on income inequality in China on the IMF blog – which is based on a recently issued working paper.It shows that the Gini coefficient has risen by 15 points since 1990 to 50: that is a big change, even though some increase in inequality could have been expected as the level of development improved. There is a long history to China’s women’s rights movement beginning with the fall of the traditional imperialist political structure and the rise of Mao Zedong. The share of females in master and doctorate programs reached 51.2 percent and 40.4 percent, up 20.6 and 24.9 percentage points from 1995, respectively. In India, the dowry system is implemented on almost every household, even in the 21st Century. By the end of 2018, the number of poor people in rural areas nationwide had been reduced from 98.99 million in 2012 to 16.6 million, and the incidence of poverty had fallen from 10.2 percent in 2012 to 1.7 percent. From a gender perspective, it makes valuable policy recommendations to promote gender equality for China’s future economic and social development. They did not hold steady income jobs and had very few rights. Gender Inequality’s Influence on Female Education Prejudice against women is not only commonly seen in the workplace but starts even before the child is employed. The Dowry Custom in both India and China is another factor of gender inequality and the son preference. Its Gini coefficient – a standard measure of inequality, with zero indicating no inequality and one extreme inequality – for income inequality has … Gender Inequality in China: A Conversation with Leta Hong Fincher. Foreword. This is a new age of wealth accumulation that is unprecedented in China… In 2018, the number of female employees reached 340 million, and women accounted for 43.5 percent of all employed persons in society. Given that members of China’s intellectual and business elites feel comfortable expressing views like this in public, it is no surprise to hear that the country is lagging behind in gender equality. Economic News: Over the last few decades, China has risen to become an economic power. Gender Inequality in China’s Workforce is Bad News for the Economy. In China, if a family does not birth any sons, the community regards it as a tragedy. China is becoming a more unequal place for women, a new report says. Even though Chinese people destroyed most of old things during the Cultural Revolution, but basic idea of gender inequalities still left in people’s mind. This is a new age of wealth accumulation that is unprecedented in China’s history. According to (Gender Inequality in China), “[since] families could only have once child, parents began to give up, abandon or, in extreme cases, kill their infant daughters.” This has caused orphanages in China to fill up with abandoned baby girls and many of them end up in American households through adoption. Women’s rights are human rights. Oxford Human Rights Hub A girl's entire life would be focused on marrying a good husband. But growing gender inequality in China is not simply a return to past practices and prejudices. As for this assignment, the primary connections of readings Markets and Bodies: Women, Service Work, and the Making of Inequality of China by Otis and Red Lights: The Lives of the Sex Workers in Postsocialist China by Zheng are discussed.The connection is the discussion of the gender inequalities from the service perception among women. About half of the people walking out of poverty were women. Gender inequality in China Contents. Therefore, the promotion of gender equality and the overall development of women is not only of great significance for China 's development, it also has a special influence on the efforts for the advancement of mankind. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN. In 2015, China and UN Women jointly organized the Global Summit of Women to reaffirm their commitment to promoting gender equality and women's development and to work together for a better future. Mao Zedong’s famous phrase “Chinese women hold up half of the sky” symbolises China’s commitment to gender equality. Notwithstanding this tremendous progress, the hidden Confucian patriarchy remains significant, with household responsibilities often falling onto the shoulders of Chinese women. The Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, Last year, he presented his original and independent research, Refugee Crisis on British Newspapers, at the International Conference of Undergraduate Research. These cohorts place greater emphasis on their personal achievement, the development of their own perspectives and the recognition of their own abilities, both inside and outside the schoolroom and the workplace. Jason is a research assistant at the University of Warwick and a visiting research scholar at UCLA. Of its total population of 1.3 billion, women account for about half. Since the convening of the Fourth World Conference on Women, significant progress has been made in promoting women's rights and development around the world, and women's living and development conditions have continued to improve. In this paper, we examine whether gender inequality affects a household's decision to adopt green consumption behaviour in China. However, the gender gap has considerably narrowed in those regions which enjoy better access to education. As a result, gender equality in China has been enhanced. Share . In particular, China, which two decades back was one of the most equal countries in the world, is now among the most unequal countries. By the 1990s, gender disparities in China were concentrated in poor rural areas, and among poor households, where children compete Building upon the literature that claims women tend to be more environmentally friendly than men, we hypothesise that households in which women play a stronger role adopt greener consumption lifestyles. John Bauer, Wang Feng, Nancy E. Riley, and Zhao Xiaohua. Over the past 25 years, China has been prioritizing the development of education by promoting equal access to education and has made great headway in eliminating female illiteracy. China stands out as one of the most developed nations regarding GDP and economic expansion rates, and the growth is attributed to increased manufacturing and the growth of the export sector. In China, if a family does not birth any sons, the community regards it as a tragedy. Also, any domestic abusers can be sentenced to imprisonment. But growing gender inequality in China is not simply a return to past practices and prejudices. These all helped raise the public awareness of women’s rights. As China continues to play an increasingly important role in the world, making more advances in gender equality will help the country stand tall as a role model in supporting women. St Cross Building, Beijing ICP prepared NO.16065310-3. Over the past 25 years, the Chinese government has honored its commitments, upheld the spirit of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, adhered to the basic national policy on gender equality for social development and progress, continuously improved the legal system and working mechanisms for the protection of women's rights and interests, and promoted women's development in China with world-renowned achievements. Recent statistical evidence also reveals women earned 70% of what men earned in China from 2010 to 2012. Gender Inequality (against Girls) in Educational Attainment by Time, Area, Grade Level, and Ethnicity in China in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s Women’s rights are human rights. As a result, gender equality in China has been enhanced. Foreword. For example, any employers who establish gender requirements for recruitment would be fined from RMB 3,000 to RMB 30,000. With an expanding legion of female workers and an optimized structure of women's occupations, more women are taking well-remunerated and management jobs. China is falling in gender equality rankings amid discrimination, government calls for women to marry and have babies. In Asia, women working in China are most likely to share an equal footing with men, according to a gender diversity study by non-profit organization Community Business. This relationship between men and women in the household illustrated the power held by men... Mao era. The gender gap in earnings has also widened in recent decades in spite of greater gender parity in educational attainment in China. Research ( Zeng et al. In 2018, the Global Gender Gap Report – benchmarking the progress towards gender parity of 149 countries – showed China placing 103rd.. Equal participation in economic activities is an important foundation for the realization of women's all-round development. Rosenberg states that"the result of such Draconian family planning has resulted in the disparate ratio of 114 males for every 100 females among babies from birth through children four years of age. gender inequality during China’s economic transformation through a careful examination of three areas: employment opportunities, income and unpaid labor. In 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women was held in Beijing. In 2018, the share of female university undergraduates and junior college students as a percentage of all students on higher education reached 52.5 percent, up 17.1 percentage points from 1995. St Cross Road, China attaches great importance to protecting women's right to health and has continuously improved the legal and policy system for women's and children's health, by establishing a robust health service network for women and children, thereby greatly improving women's health. Going forward, we need to carry on the spirit of the Fourth World Conference on Women and make unremitting efforts to promote the all-round development of women and to build a better world for all. Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over the summit and put forward four proposals on promoting gender equality and the all-round development of women. In the 21st century, this is to be welcomed, but there is much work still to do. China’s constitution guarantees equal rights between men and women, and Chinese law prohibits gender discrimination--but these laws are rarely enforced. EDUCATIONAL GENDER INEQUALITY IN CHINA The context of this study is one of long-term declines in gender inequality in China (e.g., Hannum 2005; Zhou, Moen, and Tuma 1998; Bauer, Wang, Riley, and Zhao 1992). Women are actively involved in economic decision-making and management. Gender parity has long been a crucial issue in China. The nation ranks 103rd out of 149 countries for gender equality, slipping from last year’s 100 out of 144, according to an annual report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Friday.. That puts China behind Myanmar, Romania and Russia. Modern China 1992 18: 3, 333-370 Download Citation. This fast-spreading individualism could foreseeably overcome the obstinate and stereotyped gender roles in China. The enjoyment of the equal right to health is essential to the well-being of women. Mao Zedong’s famously published collection of speeches entitled ‘the little red book’ offers a glimpse into the People’s Republic’s public policy in relatio… Gender is now one of the most important factors behind income inequality in China, where workplace discrimination and court rulings have set women back. In the 1990s, China embarked on enacting and revising a series of laws to promote gender equality, including the Marriage Law, the Population and Family Planning Law, the Law on Rural Land Contracting, and the Law and Protection of Rights and Interests of Women. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. China is a developing country with the largest population in the world. While Confucianism still enjoys noteworthy respect in Chinese communities, its patriarchal emphasis has been lessened, especially in recent decades. And difficulties can start early on the career path. The Conference, the largest ever held by the United Nations, was an important milestone in the promotion of gender equality and women's development, and had a profound impact on the global cause of promoting women's development. In 2015, China and UN Women jointly organized the Global Summit of Women to reaffirm their commitment to promoting gender equality and women's development and to work together for a better future. The Conference adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a programmatic document guiding efforts to promote global gender equality, put forward 12 key areas of concern for women's development, agreed on strategic objectives and a policy framework for promoting gender equality and safeguarding women's rights, and provided guidelines for action to promote gender equality in all countries of the world. Inequality in the rewards for holding up half the sky: Gender wage gaps in China’s urban labour market, 1988–1994 China Journal , 41 ( 1999 ) , pp. China is becoming a more unequal place for women, a new report says. The labor force participation rate of women in China has long stayed above 60 percent, ranking first in the world. These better-educated women are therefore enjoying a higher degree of socio-economic benefits, and hence, are self-actualized outside their household units. Having the One Child Policy is another form of gender inequality because in China they believe that it is better to have one child because it keeps China from getting over poplated. Research ( Zeng et al. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China, which was enacted in 1954, stated that women and men should... Post-Mao era. However, the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), shows that the rise put women at a disadvantage and worsened gender inequality in China’s workforce. In poverty alleviation projects and actions, the emphasis has been placed on ensuring the equal participation of and benefit for poor women, leading to the significant decrease of both the number of poor women and the incidence of poverty among women. Jason is also a featured human rights writer for the LSE Human Rights and Rightsviews (Columbia University).