Life for Women Flashcards
1
Q
What were the rules in Imperial China, as set out by Confucius?
A
- loyalty of ministers and officials to the emperor
- respect of children for their parents
- obedience of wives to their husbands
2
Q
What was Mao’s experience with women in his early life?
A
- Mao was in an arranged marriage to his cousin in 1910
- Mao was only 14, his cousin was 21
- Mao never accepted this as a real marriage
- Mao’s first ‘real’ marriage was in 1920
- involved in ‘Changsha fight’ against the practice of forced marriages in 1919
3
Q
What was the ‘Changsha fight’ in 1919 about?
A
- against the practice of forced marriages
- young girl was to be married off to a rich landlord, but she slit her throat in front of the guests
- this divided the guests into pro-arranged marriage and anti
- Mao witnessed this as was in support
- later used this as an example
- referred to it as ‘indirect rape’ and women being ‘relegated to the dark corners of society’
4
Q
What was the early CCP stance towards women?
A
- 1930-1940: Mao insisted women were the equals of men
- ‘foot binding’ was outlawed in 1940
5
Q
What happened during the Marriage Reform in 1950?
A
- Mao supported female rights with practical measures in Marriage Law
- concubinage was abolished
- arranged marriages were discontinued
- paying of dowries and ‘bride-price’ was forbidden
- men and women that had been forced to marry were entitled to divorce
- many women used their freedom to divorce and remarry multiple times
- all marriages must be officially recorded and registered
6
Q
What was the ‘bride-price’?
A
Women were assessed for the likelihood of number of children they would bear and then a price was calculated for how much the husband’s family would have to pay to the bride’s family.
7
Q
What was the impact of collectivisation on the status of women?
A
- law passed that allowed women to own and sell their own property
- collectivisation 1950: women were granted land in their own name
- broke tradition of men controlling all property
- life in communes meant women no longer had to be responsible for finding food and preparing it for the family
8
Q
What were the disadvantages of the increase in female rights?
A
- women could be called on to do work or men as they were now ‘equals’ in Mao’s China
- usually labour-intensive jobs that women were not trained or suitable for, so took great tolls on their health
- social values and attitudes hadn’t been changed overnight
- deeply ingrained Chinese tradition of male-dominated society
- unchanging peasant attitudes
- restrictions of women in high power roles
- Song Qing Ling
- tragic consequences for children
- many parents divorced and women left home
- increase in child abuse and prostitution
- increase in illegal arranged marriages and wife selling in countryside provinces
9
Q
Who was Song Qing Ling?
A
- wife of the founder of the GMD
- joined the CCP government following her husband’s death
- became the highest ranking woman in power
- complained about the unequal treatment of women
- restrictions of accepting women into key roles in government and party
- if she saw problems, then there must still be issues with the system
10
Q
Who was Ding Ling?
A
- famous Chinese feminist writer
- involved in Yan’an years
- criticised Mao and CCP as hypocrites
- believed they didn’t truly include women
