Chinese Women Under Communism 1921-1976

Abstract

Since the Communists came to power in 1949, Chinese women have indeed experienced a great change in their roles in society, as well as their legal rights. Women in China today contribute significantly to the labor force as factory workers, party cadres, managers, and politicians. They, like their sisters around the world, also experience the double burden of caring for the family, including raising the children, managing housework, and cooking meals. The legal rights the Communists have accorded women cannot go unacknowledged. In demanding the abolition of practices such as footbinding, child-brides, and polygamy, the Communists have eliminated the most significant contributions to women's oppression. . . . This thesis has attempted not to disprove the already apparent phenomena of women's changing roles and rights in the People's Republic of China, but rather to argue that, because of the nature of Chinese Communism, women have fallen victims to the oppression and exploitation of the CCP. The possibility of increase in women's liberation depends on the reform of the CCP. During the 1980s, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, the CCP took some steps towards opening up to new ideas, especially those from the West. By freeing themselves from isolation, the Chinese have created opportunities for broader knowledge and understanding by the people. A higher level of education would no doubt affect the treatment of the female in China. However, despite some reform, the ongoing repression and failure to accept new values continues to add to the virtual imprisonment of the Chinese people. {From Conclusion]