Changes to the role of women in Mao’s china

• Women pre-1949


  Patriarchal society

  Females were expected to obey fathers and husbands

  Widows had to obey their eldest son

  Forced into arranged marriages

  Couldn't own property
• Women and marriage pre-1949

  Mothers in laws would often stay close to their sons and would beat the wives

  If women married into a rich family she might have to share her husband with concubines
• How did property rights for women change at the very beginning of Mao’s china?


  At first they had equal property rights to men when land was redistributed but collectivisation put an end to private ownership.
• Why did the equal pay for equal work scheme fail?

  There was abuse and discrimination
• What was a consequence of forcing pregnant women to work?

  It caused miscarriages
• What happened to women who refused to work in one commune?

  They were forced to undress in winter
• What was the impact of separating women from their husbands?

  Women became victims of advances from cadres
• How was sexual violence described in the context of the equal pay scheme?

  Rape spread like a contagion
• How many women were forced onto by party secretaries in one commune?

  34 women
• What did local factory bosses in Hunan force women to do?

  Work naked
• What happened to women accused of crimes in Zhejiang?

  They were forced to parade unclothed
• What desperate measure did women take as famine spread?

  They traded sex for food
• What was the rate of suicides during this period?

  Suicides were high
• Kindergartens

  Many women anguished over the marginalisation of their role when they had to give up their child

  Mothers became distressed as they could be separated from their child for weeks

  Appalling levels of care as priority was given to economic advancement

  Kindergartens were housed in ransacked buildings- children slept on the floor- staffed by trained elderly ladies

  Food supplies were stolen by starving adults

  High death rates
• Work points and canteens 


  Canteens distributed food based on how much work had been done

  Women got less food as they did less work

  Men could earn a maximum of 10 work points a day women could earn 8
• Why did the communists wanted to destroy the family?

  It represented Confucian values and the communes were part of that (attempt to reduce women's role as a mother)

  In the communes there were dormitories where men and women slept separately but occasionally married couples would sleep together on conjugal visits
• Women in the famine 


  In the famine women suffered more than men

  Family life broke down and divorce rose

  Divorce and wife selling

  Many wives would go off to look for a husband elsewhere

  Leaving more food for the starving family

  Children were abandoned or sold
• The family in the cultural revolution 


  Up to the mountains, down to the villages campaign tore families apart

  Vast numbers of teenagers were taken from their families

  Those who returned found it hard to reintegrate into society
• Population policy 


  In 1949 the population was 540M by 1976 it had risen to 940M

  There were concerns over resources for such a large population

  Contraception became widely available in 1962+

  Propaganda encouraged women to marry later and restrict families to two children
• What was set up for women in the communes?


  Women’s association- based in 83 cities

  Published books and newspapers on women’s concerns

  Official membership was 76M

  Set up lessons in ploughing, politics and literacy

  Encouraged political activism

  Encouraged to weave PLA uniforms and get sons to join

  Speak bitterness meetings where they could talk out about the regimes enemies but instead they started talking out about abuse
• Women and the cultural revolution


  Women had a prominent role in

  Wore the same uniform

  Many women led a red guard unit

  For women to get on they had to have some masculine traits
• Women and the party

  Ding ling wrote about women being exploited- denounced the anti-rightist campaign in 1957 and was imprisoned in the cultural revolution

  Wang Guangmein- Wife of Lui Shaoqi, had high status and accompanied him on diplomatic visits until he fell out of favour

  Jiang Qing- Led the CCRG, put in prison after Mao’s death
• Women and employment

  Women in work was promoted

  Liang Jun- China’s first tractor driver- was on a 1 yuan note

  Women in the workplace rose- 1949-76- 8%-32%

  Principle equal pay

  Opportunities for promotion were limited
• Women and education


  More girls went to school- mid 70s 45% of primary school children were girls

  Right to higher education (but it wasn’t free)

  Still pressure to fufill a domestic role so only a minority went on to higher ed
• Women and the PLA


  In 1949 the PLA enlisted unmarried educated female students- military academics

  Offered a route to be platoon leaders or party Cadres

  Promoted by propaganda

  In reality they often took more feminine routes such as PLA textiles factories, army canteen or song and dance troupes

  Sent to Xinjiang to become wives to soliders
• What were some improvements to the lives of women in Mao’s China

  More girls went to school

  Allowed to divorce

  More rights in marriage

  More political involvement

  Speak bitterness meetings

  More women in the workforce

  Led red guard units

  Join the PLA
• What were some limitations for women in Mao’s China?

  Not many went on to higher education and it wasn’t free

  Still don’t have a lot of freedom

  Traditional resistance to the marriage laws

  Social expectations to fulfil domestic roles

  Sold and starved in communes

  Received less work points

  Abused by the Cadres

  Separated from children

  High up women fell out of power

  Only a few women reached the top and it was often because of men