Women hold up half the sky.

How far have Chinas modernisation

policies achieved this vision?
Since the founding of PRC in 1949, womens role has expanded greatly.
Besides their primary role as a mother, caregiver and a housewife, they have
taken on a new role as an earner and a contributor to the countrys economy
when Mao Zedong said women hold up half the sky perhaps he meant that
women play an equally important role as men the construction of the socialist
paradise. However, in todays reality, this is not the case within the
household, women are still expected to give priority to the men. In the rural
regions of China, women still play a subservient role to men. In the workplace
also, men dominates most of the rank. Therefore, while opportunities for
women have increased greatly, I disagree that Chinas modernization policies
have achieved this vision of gender equality. No doubt encumbered with old
traditional responsibilities and new economic challenges, women are still by
and large the disadvantaged gender in China.
Women are still not equal to men as they are required to shoulder dual
responsibilities in the households. Despite modern thinking, women continue
to hear the primary responsibilities for childbearing and rearing children and
for doing housework, unlike the old China however, women now also have to
take on jobs to work and provide for the family financially. Juggling between
both roles is already not easy, yet they are unable to receive the muchneeded support and understanding from their family. For men, putting the
career before the family is acceptable but when the same thing comes to
women, the society views it with scorn. Perhaps due to the increased
pressure on women to succeed in both roles, China has the highest suicide
rate of women in the world. Beset by unfavourable conditions women have to
work way harder than men to secure their jobs, to attain the same economic
achievements as men. Todate, the number of strong and capable women is
still the minority. Furthermore, even if they manage to become successful in
spite of all the discrimination and competition, they would still be inundated
with austic criticisms from the society because of the fear that women can
and may surpass men.
Economically and culturally, women continue to be discriminated. For firms in
a market economy, profit and efficiency are of key importance. As a result,
many a times, as industries in China reorganise their labour force; protective
policies and regulations for women are bypassed or ignored by the
management. Due widespread corruption and the weak rule of law in the
country, women have little channels to turn to even when they are exploited.
Many factories and enterprises choose to employ men over women because
they are not tied down by traditional obligations of childbearing and
maintaining of households. Unfounded societal perceptions of women being
lazy and irresponsible have also caused women to be discriminated against in

the recruitment process for high-paying jobs. Women receive lower pay than
men for the same work done. On average, women only earn 77% of what
men receive for doing the same work.
Compared to men, womens presence in high places of business and politics
remains scarce and is far from equal. Although women represented a large
part of the Chinese workforce, this workforce still adopts a pyramid structure,
with men at the higher levels of the hierarchy and women at the bottom.
Instead of moving up the chain of command, status of women in politics has
been in retrogression in the 1950s, when womens political rights were still
guaranteed and protected, there were at least more prominent female
leaders. Instead of improving for the better, position of women in politics has
dwindled by far. Today, there are no women at the top level of national
leadership. The president of the Peoples Republic and Chairman of the
peoples congress, and the chairman of the peoples consultative conference
and the premier of the state council are men. The fact that there are no
women in the politburo of China is an indication that theres no voice for the
female at the upper levels of the government. The ratio of male to female in
the peoples consultative conference is 25 to 1, and even in the National
Peoples Congress, the ratio of male to female representation is 8 to 1. Of all
ministries women only represent 7%.
Be that a it may, greater employment opportunities generated from CCPs
market policies have resulted in greater equality. Economic reforms opened
up new industries and the proliferation of new industries has increased the
demand for workers. As new migrate to cities for better job prospects, women
are given greater control over the agricultural sectors. Today, women form
41% of the entire workforce in China, taking up profession in all fields. Up to
90% of all working women are fully employed. In the rural areas, women
federations have launched backyard industries so that while taking care of
their families, women can also help with light labour like the production of
baskets, cushions and other craftworks. By 1990, women already comprised
of 35% of the science and technical workforce. Chinese women are also
successful in sports, clinching 8 out of 10 medals won by China. The
emergence of strong and capable women as entrepreneurs, scientists,
doctors and government leaders is also a testimony of this.
With modernization, gender disparity is also reduced as women are given
educational opportunities. Organisations like China Children, Teenager Fund
and China Youth Development Fund have been set up to provide basic
educations catered specially to those underpriviledged girls in China that
were previously deprived of an education. Womens federation have also
established programs to strengthen the capabilities of women in higher level
workplace so that they can move up in live of the social ladder. Together with
the help of science and technical schools, classes have been launched to

eradicate female illiteracy in rural areas. Skills imported during these classes
like farming, forestry, animal husbandry and other sideline production are
helpful for women to gain a livelihood so that they can became more
independent. Colleges like China college for women also train women to
become leaders and managers so that they have better opportunities to
compete with men in higher level of the workplace.
Modernization policies have also erased the traditional social roles of women,
making roles of the two genders more similar and granting women with more
equal economic opportunities. Under one-child policy, since there is only one
child, women are less attached to child care responsibilities. The only child in
the family is often taken care of by the in-laws. With increased financial
strength many households can also have domestic help so that women can
focus on their career. Advances in science and domestic help so that women
can focus on their career. Advances in science and technology have also
brought in a wide range of convenient appliances to lessen the job of females
in the households. Fast food restaurants, frozen food and staple food like
steam buns and stuffed dumplings are readily available. If couples do not
want to cook a comfortably prepared meal, getting food outside is just half an
hour away. Childcare agencies can also help parents take care of their child
while they are at work. The facts that many women continue to work after
they have baby is a sign that these measures have been largely successful.
Due to modernization, more women have become successful in the business
and academic circles, raising their overall status. Accredited to the increased
economic and education opportunities, there are more female entrepreneurs
and professionals than before. Where competency and ability are more
important, there is no room for gender biasness or social discrimination.
Hence, in these fields, women have equal chances for promotion as men. In
absentia of such perceptions, female professionals in the cities have also
became more daring in leading Chinas economic growth spurt by
contributing ideas for the development of their enterprises in the form of
proposals. Set apart from the masses by their high education level and
professional experience, these women bear significant role in constructing
Chinas economy. From 1978 to 1992, 572 outstanding females were selected
as national model workers and in 1993, 936 females are granted national
May 1 labour medals. Wu Yi , an ineventual female minister who reads
Chinas ministry of Trade and Economic Co-operation, isanother good
example of this.
To sum up, modernization policies have indomitably improved womens status
tremendously. However, they are still the disadvantaged party iin gender
relations due to deep-rooted social, economic, and cultural reasons. As long
as these obstacles are not overcome, gender equality will continue to be a far
away dream.