Women's Rights in China

Women Status During the Tang and Song dynasties in China, wives could defend themselves against their husbands who had more freedom through continued laws; however, women’s political and social influences increased during Tang and early Song dynasties, and during the late Song Dynasty they both decreased. During the two dynasties, the basic women laws were maintained. There were women empresses in the Tang Dynasty but later in the Song there was not. Woman could rise in power in the house hold in Tang more than women in the Song. During the two dynasties, the basic women laws were maintained. The basic rights of women were continually protected. Women had a say if she wanted to stay in the marriage if her husband wanted a divorce. Both had to agree upon it to pass the divorce. A wife was protected, and taken care of, by her husband if her family dies or goes missing. Although men could still pay for concubines even if they were married and commit adultery, women had more protected rights and more freedom in china than in India. Woman in the the Tang dynasties had high political power with empresses. These empresses had control of the government and enjoyed grandeur lifestyles during the Tang Dynasty. All women by the end of the Song dynasty were influenced by the Neo-Confucian movement which placed emphasis on males. They started a new practice called foot binding to show a woman's "beauty and elegance." With this brought pain, infection, and diseases. This marked the decrease of women’s role in society and their freedom. During the Tang and some of the Song Dynasty, all women classes obtained some or high power in their family's house and elder women had gained respect from the younger girls and boys. The women in the upper classes received power for their natural beauty. Due to foot binding, women could not get around, so money was spent on for them to be entertained. Women's role shifted as Confucian philosophies made its comeback in the