The Role of Women in Modern China

The role of women in modern China As we explore the history of human beings, we will clearly find that unlike the ancient women, they have a strong aspiration to strive for their equal rights in modern China. (34 words) In ancient China, living in a patriarchal society which emphasized female submissiveness makes almost every woman oppressed and enslaved. They were regarded as “tools” for farming and weaving and giving birth to a child especially a boy. Besides, women in the traditional Chinese society were mere daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. They were expected to serve their fathers in their childhood, their husbands in their married life and their sons in widowhood. Furthermore, many crimes against women were relentless and truculent such as the foot binding. Foot binding was performed to create smaller looking feet with intense arches. Society viewed these smaller feet as attractive. Special shoes were created to highlight the beauty of the bound foot size. The practice soon became a cultural norm and a requirement for marriage as mothers bound the feet of their daughters, which was so ridiculous. (144words) After the People’s Republic of China was established, Gender equality in China has increased tremendously. Today, Chinese women in China are not considered subordinate to men. They can choose their own husbands, get a divorce, attend college and find a good job. (42 words) According to the law which was passed in 1980 and enacted in 1981, banned arranged and forced marriages and shifted focus away from the dominance of men and onto the interests of the children and women. “the lawful rights and interests of women, children and the aged are protected.” Adults, both men and women, gained the right to lawful divorce. It’s a prominent improvement for women’s rights. (69 words) Education played a large role in the women's rights movement of the 20th century because it was seen as the key to