Rethinking Women’s Liberation Under Maoist China
Crowds of young radicals once filled the streets of Beijing, agitating for the reform of the Chinese society. Condemning Confucian values. Demanding an end to the ‘old world.’
For the first time, individuals dared to question norms upheld by generations of their ancestors. The campaign, later referred to as the May Fourth Movement, served as a pivotal point of change between traditionalist and progressive China.
Gender inequality in imperial China was a result of Confucian ideals, notably the philosophy of “filial piety ” – women must comply with men, citizens must comply with their ruler, and the young must comply with the elder. Such male-dominant ideology led to the rise of infamous practices such as foot-binding and the selling of women as products.
After the May Fourth Movement – as China set foot into its revolutionary era – those hierarchies were overturned by a wave of radical thought. This social awakening ultimately led to the nation’s change into a socialist regime.
Reconstruction of Women
“Women hold up half the sky” – so claimed Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution. Following his ascent to power and the eventual establishment of the PRC in 1949, Mao highlighted women’s gender equality via the vast use of propaganda and political rhetoric. This ranged from the desexualizing of women through the use of neutral languages such as “nüquan” (female power) instead of languages including “nüxing” (female sexuality), to the portrayal of the ‘iron women’ – a selfless laborer who fulfills economic as well as family duties.
At first glance, this campaign was successful in abolishing traditionalist values. Women were able to participate in waged labor, access education, and take part in social activism. Women, for the first time in centuries, were able to experience recognition as individuals rather than extensions of their families. They gained sovereignty over their own lives – or so the revolution claimed.
The Cost of Liberation
Despite the rhetoric of equality, Maoist China’s so-called ‘liberation of women’ was merely tied to state interests. The participation of half the population in the workforce meant a boost in industrial activity, and an increase in women’s rights was a demonstration that the nation adhered to socialist values. Equality itself became a tool of revolution.
The reforms brought about issues that remain even in today’s society – for instance, the ideal of an ‘iron woman’ placed a double burden on female individuals. She must work like a man, yet manage the household like a woman. She must take care of her children while having some great accomplishments in her occupation. She is still asked in interviews about how she balances family with career.
The de-sexualization of women, while liberating them from being reduced to mere “wives” or “mothers,” is a double-edged sword that measures her against standards traditionally set for men. She is only noticed when she becomes “the first woman” to take up a male role – being president, winning a prestigious prize, going into space, et cetera. Jobs such as nursing or housekeeping – all of which are traditionally “feminine” careers – are belittled by individuals in society.
Of course, this is not to suggest that the Chinese society would be better off reverting to the times before the revolution – it is undeniable that these reforms, however much they functioned as a tool of the government, brought about significant progress for women. Yet, many fail to recognise that these reforms focus too much on changing women, and not men. Adding new expectations again and again on top of women’s existing roles does not create equality if the other half of society remains the same. Why are men not required to take on feminine roles in society if women take on masculine roles? True gender equality cannot occur when only one side is asked to adapt.
Conclusion
Every revolution promises liberation. And so was the case in Maoist China. It offered women access to education, labor, and public life, and challenged gender norms entrenched in society for centuries. Yet, the reform overlooked a fundamental requirement for gender equality – a change on both sides. It focused solely on women, without ever changing men. Society must urge men to look beyond the patriarchal, traditionalist values to achieve equality.
Written by: Miki O
