For an American-born Chinese girl like me, each rare trip back to my parents’ hometown is a blessing. Not just because of the warm waft of steamed dumplings mixed with the rumble of traditional Chinese drums, but because it allows me to spend time with Grandmama.
Before I could even properly walk, Grandmama had already taken on a significant role in my developmental life. She would teach me Chinese chess and hover my pudgy hands ever so slightly above the chess pieces, before then caressing me in a warm embrace. But it was not until I was six years of age when I realized that behind Grandmama’s wrinkly smile hides a long line of women’s oppression in China.
I remember always asking her, “Grandmama, why did you have Daddy at such a young age?”
Each time, she would look me softly in the eye and say, “I had no other choice.”
Grandmama really did have no choice. She was one of millions of women who sacrificed their education to take on household chores before even reaching adulthood. For centuries, the dual roles of Chinese men and women were represented by Yin and Yang, with women being the feminine and obedient Yin and men being the dominant and overpowering Yang. Little do people realize, the story of Yin and Yang is reflective of the fundamental ways in which China sustains power.
In the past 100 years, China has experienced revolutionary changes at a scale unlike any other nation. Despite large-scale political and economic shifts, one thing remains the same: the lack of women in government. Since the beginning of basic government institutions, male dominance in society has been associated with political legitimacy, whereas the role of women is to remain uninvolved with political affairs. China restricts female presence in government to prevent political uproar and illegitimacy. Hence, China has been dominated by male figureheads for the past century and deprives women of equal opportunities, both academically and beyond. For my Grandmama to take on a job in the 1900s would not only make her the target of societal backlash but would have been a nearly impossible task.
But let’s be very clear – just because women have access to education now and are receiving more schooling than ever before does not mean the fight against oppression is over. In fact, it has hardly even begun. July 2021 marked the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist party. Even 100 years later, it is still the same, oppressive nation that capitalizes on the inferior identities of women.
Structural problems that date back to the 1900s have laid the groundwork for inequalities still present in modern China. Since women have historically been denied education and a voice in the political sphere, it is much harder for them to find well-paying jobs, thus making their social influence negligible. Of course, after nearly a century of cruel oppression, feminist movements have slowly sprouted throughout the nation, but they have been unable to garner any traction because the government is actively taking steps to prevent these movements from progressing.
I spent years living in Shandong, one of China’s largest cities. During my time there, I was able to connect with countless other women who believed in the same feminist values as me. Even today, I see them as some of the most courageous women in my life and hold them in very high regard. In June 2021, a close friend of mine reposted social media hashtags about the #MeToo and #NotYourPerfectVictim movements, which sought to combat women’s sexual assault and rape culture. These social movements deserve to be heard about and the voices of women behind these movements should be amplified. Instead, my friend’s posts were “shadowbanned” by the government, limiting her ability to speak up against the injustice Chinese women face. My dear friend’s experience with speech restriction is just an example of broader gender inequality within modern China. The identities of Chinese women are under attack, and their oppression is the reason why male figureheads are able to continuously wield unfettered power.
I hope that readers realize the importance of this issue, because our problems do not need to go unaddressed. The people I am talking about are not just blank faces of arbitrary women, they are real people with livelihoods and dreams. They are people who have had their rights and dignities stripped away because oppressive leaders stay powerful by draining influence from the ordinary citizen.
The most direct way to improve the lives of women in China is to change the way politicians at the highest level address this issue. Dare to sign petitions, start community initiatives, educate others about the injustices women in authoritarian countries face, or write an article like this to get the word out.
Dare to be heard, because that is a privilege not every woman has.
Image credit: Cyril Massenet