How far did the lives and status of women change under Mao?

What were attributes of women’s lives like for women before Mao?

• The three obediences- first father, then husband, then son

• Foot binding

• Infanticide

• Arranged marriages

• Confucian values in families

What was Clause Six of the Communist Common Programme of 1949?

It promised the abolition of restrictions affecting women and affirmed their equal treatment with men, in political economic, cultural, educational and social spheres and the freedom to marry whoever you wanted.

What percent of women were in employment in 1949?

8%

Which laws were brought in in 1950?

The Agrarian reform law

The Marriage Law

Describe the changes made under the marriage law?

• Arranged marriages and the payment of dowries to a husband or his family were outlawed 

• Men and women who had been forces to marry previously had trhe right to divorce their paretns 

• All marriages and divoreces had to be registered with the local government 

• Divorce was to be available on equal terms, except that a man could not divorce his wife is she was pregnant or giving bith that year 

• Children born out of wedlock had equal rights with outher children 

• Woemn retained the right to keep the property they already owned when they were married 

• Concubinage and polygamy were both outlawed 

Why was this law important to the communists?

• Ideologically, it marked a clear break from traditional Confucian values- the law promoted gender equality—an essential element of Communist ideology It was aimed to create a modern socialist society, and empowering women was a key part of that vision, as reflected in the slogan “Women hold up half the sky.”

• Practically, the law helped the CCP mobilise women as active participants in the revolution, which was vital for implementing reforms like land redistribution and industrialisation. It also enabled the Party to extend its influence into family life and weaken the authority of traditional patriarchs, reinforcing CCP control in rural areas

Why did Mao have a particular connection to the abolition of arranged marriages?

• He had been in an arranged marriage with a women 7 years his senior when he was only 14

• He had learnt of a bride who had cut her throat and bled to death in front of her brides instead of going through with the marriage

What limited the changes that could be made?

• The deeply rooted traditional, Confucian values that couldn’t be changed by just a law

• The Marriage Law was more successful in urban areas where state-sponsored reforms were more readily implemented. In rural areas, where local power structures and traditional values remained strong, the law faced significant resistance and its impact was less pronounced

• Once the government reduced its focus on enforcing the law through mass campaigns, the law's impact on society largely diminished

What political status did women have?

• Women made up 13% of the membership of the Party

• Women were 21% of the cadres by 1974

What did women’s associations do and how many staff were there in how many cities?

They encouraged speaking out and participation

There were 40,000 staff in 83 cities

What suggested that authorities may not have been as committed to gender equality as they claimed?

there were only few women who help a high position in the PRC under Mao- there were complaints from the women that they were not treated well and accepted into the roles they would play

Give an example of one of these woman and their role?

Song Qingling- the Nationalist leader

What was the reality of life on the communes?

• Cottages industries abandoned- prostitution and brothels for cadres common

• Communal barracks replaced family units

• There was rife sexual abuse- Dikotter suggested that 2 Party officials raped 34 women during the Cultural Revolution in Mongolia

• Suicides rates were high

• There was a double burden

• Women had to split their rations with children

• Divorce rates rose as many couples abandoned eachother as one fled to the city

What did the population grow from and to from 1949- 1976?

From 500 million (1949) to 940 million (1976)

What did Mao announce should happen from 1971?

The birth rate should drop to 2%

Later marriage should be encouraged

What did the rate of divorces rise by from 1960-2 in the Gansu province?

60%

• What percent of the workforce was female in 1949?

• What did it rise to by 1976?

• 8%

• 32%

What happened to women during the famine?

• Women were expected to work in the fields alongside men, and their labour was often devalued or unpaid- Women's work was often not recognized or paid for equally, further exacerbating their economic vulnerability

• The cultural preference for sons in rural areas led to girls being treated poorly and being more likely to be sacrificed during periods of famine

• Women were particularly vulnerable to the effects of famine, including malnutrition, disease, and decreased fertility. 

• The famine had a significant impact on women's reproductive health

What was another feature of women in employment?

Equal pay but difficult to get a promotion

Give an example of a role model?

Deng Yulan- agricultural worker who won awards and went ot Beijing but never gained publicity like male role models did like Lei French or Wang Kinxi

What was an example of a propaganda drive to get women into education?

Films- 'Woman Locomotive Driver’

Which group of women were the most successful and admired for their textile machinery plant?

The Han- Chinese women

When was a new form of employment advertised?

What did this involve?

• February 1951

• The recruitment of professions, skilled workers and female students to form a female work team to go to Xinjiang to exploit its natural resources- it had a range of incentives such as paid study in the Soviet Union and teaching of advanced technology- military careers were also an options

• It offered the opportunity for rural women to escape the grinding poverty of their lives

What was the reaction to this advertisement?

It was answered enthusiastically

What did the first 5 year plan (1953- 1957) allow women to do?

• Live with their families

Positive aspects of the CR for women?

• Beneficial for female teenage females- they were treated as equal in this role

• Female laborers were celebrated in propaganda, showing women working in factories, communes, and on farms.

Negative aspects of the CR for women?

What happened in 1972?

• Families were destroyed with the dislocation of all families

• At the end of the CP, child

What was a new job that was brought in?

What were features of this?

• Bare foot doctors

• 90% of villages had them- had to complete 6 month course- predominantly women

• Later adopted by the WHO in 1973

What did Robin Bunce argue about women’s equality?

‘Equality did not necessarily mean a better life’

What did Helen Gao say?

‘for all its flaws, the Communist revolution taught Chinese women to dream big’