Women's Rights In China And Saudi Arabia

Comparing Cultures: The Development of Women’s Rights in China and Saudi Arabia China and Saudi Arabia are two of the world’s most conservative and traditional societies. Each prides itself on respecting the values of their past, but how well do their cultures respect women? The role of women has changed drastically in the last hundred years across the world. Increased access to education, more equitable inheritance and divorce laws, and protection from violence and persecution are generally agreed on by all societies. The ultimate goals of feminism and the societal structure needed to achieve these goals, however, is not universally accepted. Each nation considers its culture to be the most respectful of women, but equality between
History of Women’s Rights in China Throughout its 4,000 years of history China has been ruled by numerous dynasties and kingdoms. Despite the long and occasionally divided history, mainland China managed to maintain an impressive amount of cultural continuity. Chinese culture, based on the teachings of Confucius, is strictly hierarchical, traditional, and closed. In the Chinese caste system, women’s rights have never been a primary focus. Confucianism is the core ideology behind Chinese culture, and analysis of the implications of Chinese culture starts here. Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, lived from 551-478 BCE. His teachings focused on human beings as teachable, and capable of achieving moral perfection, given enough hard work and personal sacrifice. Instead of the numerous rites and rituals required by the world’s major monotheistic religions, Confucianism specifies the particular duties for individuals based on their position in a given relationship. According to Confucian ideals, filial piety- based on the respect a child shows their parents- is a virtue that should be held above all else. In any unbalanced relationship- such as son to father, or government official to emperor, or wife to husband- the younger, less experienced and weaker member must obey the older, stronger and more experienced individual completely and without
The majority of female employees in Saudi are in the Ministry of Health or Education, filling the traditional female roles of nurse and teacher. Improving the economic opportunity for women is difficult due to the unique nature of the Saudi economy. Oil is the most significant aspect of the economy, and provides a large percentage of GDP. Foreign workers fill the majority of low-skill labor and technical drilling positions (UN 13). Without significant loosening of social codes such as the guardianship (the advances to education have already been made), it will be difficult for Saudi women to increase participation in the private