Status of Women in China: Change in the Past 100 years
Status of Women in China: Change in the Past 100 years
The status of women in china has changed from the era of foot binding, abuse and prostitution to the era of women empowerment and playing in a leveled playing field as the male counterparts. Today, the role of women is not only tied to home care and child bearing but entails making equal contribution to the family and society. Today, many Chinese women earn more than their spouses. While this would never have occurred held a century ago, women empowerment as stipulated by Woolf has made it possible.
Empowerment of women has emancipated them from suffering and bondage that had overwhelmed them. This paper reviews the issues of rights with regards to Woof’s perceptions. Woolf looks at the hurdles that a woman faces and how empowerment and money can liberate her. After reviewing Woolf’s perspective, the paper shall review the position of women in china. Women in china have come up from being status less to being notable individual in society. This is all because of empowerment of women which has resulted to knowledge about their rights in the society.
Woolf on Rights
Virginia Woolf is an author who champions for the rights of women. In the book, a room of one’s own, Woolf discusses the various ways that the society has impeded on women’s rights. She begins by illustrating how there are few female authors. This is after she visits the British library. The author questions “have you any notion of how many books are written about women” (Woolf, 2012, p26). Woolf categorizes women as animals and states that they are the most talked about animals in any form of writing. She further points out that though most of the writing is on women few have authored these books. Woolf also mentions that women did have the privileged of ownership.
Basic needs such as a private room for girls were out of the question. Wool states “to have a room of her own, let alone a quiet room was out of question” (Woolf, 2012, p52). The society did not allow working either. As a girl, she had to rely on her father for money for basic needs. However, the money was not carelessly given to the girl. The father provided her with barely enough to clothe her. The woman also lacked freedom compared to the male counterparts. This was attributed to the minimal financial capabilities of the women. They did not work thus relied on their parents or husbands. Without finances, the women remained tied to their families.
Woolf also points out that women lacked the freedom to engage in writing. This was evidence with the empty spaces on shelves. She argues that women must overcome the persistent discouragement from the society to be successful. On intellectual; capabilities of women, Woolf points out “ there was an enormous body of masculine opinion to the effect that nothing could be expected of women intellectually”(Woolf, 2012, p53)
Woolf also argues that financial capabilities are one of the reasons why women continue to lag behind. Material things such as money give individual’s power. The inability of women to access money has been the reason why they have remained stifled for years. Intellectually, a woman can enjoy freedom if she has material things. It is the lack of material things that has rendered women poor since eternity. What the author is trying to put across to women is that women have to be economically empowered and independent so as to enjoy equal rights like the men. The writer also points out how women missed out on formal education. While their male counterparts enjoyed formal education, the women stayed at home. Women who attempted to seek education were shunned. The author writes “no one checked her, no one taught her; the professors frowned at her…”(Woolf, 2012, p61). The author mentions these facts with regards to Margret who aspired to be a poet but had to face many hurdles.
A Room of One’s Own: Summary
Virginia Woolf writes an informative piece on women empowerment. Using various characters, the author tries to demonstrate how a woman has to struggle so as to be successful. She begins with her personal experience at the British library where she realizes that they were few books written by female authors. The book also covers male versus female education and how the society favored male academic enlightenment over the women. The society has already structured responsibilities for male and females.
The females were to bear children and take care of homes, whereas the males were the providers who worked and catered for the families. The women thus faced conflicting requirement with the society expecting them to take up the role of home care taker while they desired to make something of themselves. The author portrays the effect wealth and poverty in a society. The women suffer under the men because they are powerless. Their desire for equality with the male counterparts is almost impossible in a society where women have no room for growth and personal development. Woolf advocates for women’s rights and allowing women to access the same opportunities as the men.
Women Rights in China
Over time, the status of women in china has changed. Just like the inequalities and difficulties that the women in Woolf essay faced Chinese women also suffered. The women in china suffered from low status as a result of deeply rooted ideologies and practices. The functionality of the Chinese society was based on the Confucius ideology. The Confucius ideology stated that women must obey men. The women were thus considered inferior to men. The society required that women follow orders and instructions of men without question. Just like Woolf, the women in china also enjoyed no freedom. Each of the activities they engaged in was determined, directly or otherwise, by their male counterparts. Such authority over women saw the Chinese society disregard all possible human right when dealing with their women (Yan, 2009). They purchased and sold women; the women were also physically abused.
The preference for men over the women was evident as the society encouraged female infanticide. Chinese women did not also enjoy the freedom of choice in various spheres. In marriage for instance, a spouse was selected by the family and the option of free love and selection of partner was non-existent. However, from the start of the 20thcentury, reformist in china arose to advocate for equality and rights of women. The fight for equality and rights arose due to exposure to the western world. Women from noble families got the opportunity to education. With education, the Chinese women were empowered and desired for change. Woolf mentions that the only way that women can be empowered is by accessing material things.
The Chinese women who were exposed to the western world had been empowered. Most of those exposed to the western world were women from noble and wealthy families. With exposure, they learned that the treatment of women in china needs to be changed. This marked the beginning of radical changes in the Chinese society as the woman got a voice and began to be heard (Chen, 2009, p294). The reformist argued that denying women an opportunity to education denies them an opportunity for prosperity which in turn affects the future of the nations. What the reformist were trying to put across is that, just like men, the women can also play an integral part of growth and development.
In an effort to elevate women from bondage as a result of ideologies such as Confucius, china abolished the system that encouraged bondage of women. In 1949, china ruled that women will enjoy equal rights and opportunities as men. This meant that women were liberated on the political, economies, social and educational front. Women began to enjoy their freedom and rights, for instance, the freedom to select the marriage partner of their choice and the freedom to participate in society. This means that women could not enjoy a higher level of independence as they could work and earn a living. The dependence on the male figures in the family had come to an end (Molyneux, & Shahra, 2005, p997).
The desire for liberation has seen generations of women try to bring change to their lives. In rural north china, for instance, the generations of young women have embraced social changes. The social changes have come about as a result of state policies and practices passed in favor of women. Yan, (2006) states the social changes are “ altering their positions in the domestic spheres from status less outsiders to new players in family affairs” (Yan, 2006, p107). Yan shows how far the Chinese women have come.
In the past, the Chinese women were seen as an individual of little value. In fact, the society wrote down societal norms rules and put women and children under the same group. For instance, the rule on obedience; the women were to obey the men and the children were to obey the elders. In essence, the elders here referred to the men as women did not hold any positions. Women began to take up challenges and new opportunities that portrayed them as vital individual in society. Gradually the women, who were the marginalized members of the Chinese family began to challenge the patriarchal order. Women began taking up roles of providers in the family. They women went to school, and acquired jobs that put them in the same playing field as their male counterparts.
Woolf points that one reason women were marginalized is due to the assumption that they lacked intellectual capabilities. The case was no different in historical china. The societal ideologies stipulated that the women place was at home. The emergence of the reformists saw women get an opportunity at education. However, there numbers were still significantly less compared to their male counterparts. Since 1950 and 1960, it is the Chinese women that have borne the brunt of calamities and economic crunches. In the occurrence of such events, the women who had acquired an opportunity to study were forced to drop out.
Economic setbacks also saw the Chinese woman drop out of school in favor of their male siblings (Chen, 2009; p295). Currently, the government encourages women in china to enroll in academic situations. Studies, however, indicate that the number of females extending their education to higher learning institutions is still low. This is attributed to trends such as marriage and child bearing that interrupts education. Education is one of the tools that empower women, and it is vital that the society places mechanisms that will encourage female education. High illiteracy levels among Chinese women contribute to the subordination and marginalization of women even in the society today. Equality between men and women in china can be achieved if the women embrace education which opens up opportunities (Chow, & Zhang, 2004; p178).
Conclusion.
Women need opportunities and a chance to prove their potential. This is the message that Virginia wolf in the book a room of one’s own tries to empathize. The view held by Woolf in this book reverberates in a country such as china. Women in China have come from far in terms of opportunities, growth and empowerment. The society considered them status less and required them to obey men. Women in china had no voice and only survived by adhering to the norms of the society. Gradually, form mid 20th century China began to embrace change and the society began to view women as essential elements of society. Educational facilities began to give women education opportunities. With education, the women gradually began knowledgeable and empowered as they demanded rights and a voice in the society. It is often said that knowledge is power and china is proof that women managed to liberalize themselves from forced marriage, force female fancied, spousal abuse and poor health care.
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