china women

Womens work in ancient china normally centered around or the home. Their house task such as preparing food, clening and looking after their children was the normal for women in ancient china. It was common for women to take up manul labor in the home. Spinning ,weaving and sewing were common occupations women did. Sometimes a peasant women worked in the fields with her husband.

One of the main task a women was exected to have many children. They felt the pressure to have boys and believed themselves that boys were better than girls. “A girl gained more respect in her husband's family if she gave birth to a boy. The birth of a boy was always celebrated more than the birth of a girl" (Liu). A boy meant the continuation of a family, and a soon-to-be leader. A girl would not be able to continue a family legacy, as they are often married into another family to take care of their house.

Early in history, men dominated the Chinese society while women were deprived of all rights and were present mainly to serve men, they had to subordinate to their fathers, husbands, brothers and sons. Arranged marriages left women with virtually no voice in the society. Chinese women did not have rights and privileges. Women in Chinese society occupied a low and degraded status. They were customarily assigned the most despised and least important jobs and positions. The male child was looked upon as a "gift" from the gods, and treated accordingly. As for the female child, she had to endure multiple hardships, like the binding of her feet in order to cripple her from running and other customs.