Feminism in Chinese Communism

As a Leninist party, the Communist Party of China (CPC) was theoretically committed to female equality. This was at odds with traditional Chinese culture, which the Kuomintang had largely upheld. After 1949, the CPC outlawed concubinage, and allowed women's right to divorce.

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Early Days

Most of the initial leadership was male, including everyone who attended the founding congress. They were also already supporters of more rights for women, which was general among Chinese radicals.

Xiang Jingyu was a prominent female leader in the early Chinese Communist Party.[1] She was executed in 1928 by the Nationalist government. This was part of a general crack-down on the underground Communist Party, but the Nationalist government viewed the feminist movement as part of a larger threat that could cause anarchy.[2]

Kang Keqing was the leader of a local guerilla force that joined up with the main Red Army. She was one of the few women who took part in the Long March, and became a prominent leader within it.

The May Fourth era had been more open and accommodating to feminism than the eras that followed it.[2] in the early 1900s organized marriages were arranged by the parents of the bride. The only way that women could initiate a divorce was by suicide. Where as the men could divorce for numerous reasons if they felt like it. Chairman Mao Zedong in the beginning of his leadership was sympathetic to these women who took their lives because of forced marriage.[3]

In Power

On coming to power, rights for women were implemented as part of what Mao called New Democracy. In Marxist terms, this was understood as implementing things that the middle class had done in Western countries, but which had not happened in China. An All-China Women's Federation pushed for female rights.

Divorce was allowed for women, and many of them took advantage of it. Concubinage was ended, but when an existing concubine wanted to stay part of the family, this was allowed. Marriage was an individual choice. Both sexes chose freely, but as the system developed, permission was needed from the work unit. This had always been the rule for Party members.

In the 1950s and 1960s women were depicted as strong capable warriors who fought in the name of Communism and China in propaganda posters.[4] In many cases during the introduction of the Red Guard, women felt the need to be a leading force. This resulted in numerous women at schools being beaten and humiliated by their peers if they did not live up to Communist standards. Despite being depicted as strong and proud, unequal treatment for women was still relevant in the 60s. Many women who completed their educational requirements were still assigned poorer jobs next to their male counterparts who would receive better quality jobs.[5] After the elimination of the assigned work units and the ability to migrate from the countryside to urban areas became available, many girls started doing so and living outside of the traditional sense that was still practiced in the rural areas. These girls would eventually become known as the factory girls due to their work in poor conditioned factories.[6]

Some outside observers have complained that after the fall of the Gang of Four, older attitudes to women revived.[7] This mostly comes from people who did not support the 'gang' and supported most of the new policies after Mao.

See also

References
  1. Gilmartin, Christina (2008). "Xiang Jingyu". The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History.
  2. Mitter, Rana (2004). A Bitter Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 147.
  3. Mitter, Rana (2004). A Bitter Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press.
  4. "Iron Women, Foxy Ladies". Chineseposters.net. December 16, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  5. Yang, Rae (1998). Spider Eaters: A Memoir. U of California Press. ISBN 0520215982.
  6. Chang, Leslie (2009). Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China. Spiegel & Grau. ISBN 978-0330506700.
  7. China Changes Face: The Road from Revolution, 1949-89, by John Gittings. Oxford paperbacks 1990. Pages 246-8.

Sources
  • Chang, Leslie. Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China. Spiegel & Grau 2009
  • Gittings, John. China Changes Face: The Road from Revolution, 1949-89. Oxford paperbacks 1990
  • Gilmartin, Christina (2008). "Xiang Jingyu". From The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History
  • Li, Danke. Echoes of Chongqing: Women in Wartime China. University of Illinois Press 2009
  • Mitter, Rana (2004). A Bitter Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Yang, Rae (1998). Spider Eaters: A Memoir. University of California Press.
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