Chinese Women under the Communist Regime(1949-Now) Research Paper

Chinese Women under the Communist Regime(1949-Now) - Research Paper Example The demand to have only child in the family has often led to sex-selective abortion of females, female infanticide and consequently prostitution as there are not enough women to marry. When it comes to education, girls are mostly denied the chance to have education in preference for boys. This has implication on the workforce as women tend to occupy low paying jobs if ever they get a chance to enter the workforce and hardly occupy leadership roles in organizations. For example according to China National Bureau of Statistics, women represent 45% of the workforce but their salary is 74 % leass than men’s wage. However, not all is lost as women’s equality status has been improving since resumption to power of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on a platform of gender equality since 1949. Much has been done in terms of law formulations and other programs but much still needs to be done to liberate Chinese women. This essay will discuss and evaluate the progress of women in the workforce under the communist regime (1949-now). In order to understand the plight of women in the workforce during the communist regime, it is imperative to delve into the background of the problem. The stereotyping of women characteristic even in the labor laws today dates back to Chinese history of patrilineal distribution of wealth and marriage. Women in the past had no freedom to choose a husband as marriages were arranged and spouse was chosen based on family needs (Engel, 955-961). The role of the woman in this marriage was to bear a son to continue family lineage. There were also purchase marriages that turned a woman into property of the husband which he could sell at his discretion. Marrying second wives and keeping concubines was a prevalent practice and there was nothing women could do about it until 1950 when a marriage law was passed to prohibit