Gender Roles In China

Submitted By srxmango
Words: 1929
Pages: 8

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The way in which Genders are Constructed in CHINA
The Chinese country has been marked with historical gender discrimination practices. In the modern setting this practice is fueled by the government’s one child policy. True from numerous research reports, gender-specific abortions are quite common among Chinese. According to these reports, it is projected that the nation is faced with gender imbalance problem, a factor that might witness over 24 million Chinese men lack spouse to marry by 2020 (World Bank). As an emphasis on the importance given to a male child in the Chinese is the claim that most people fail to have girl children registered to enable them have a second child.
Nevertheless, the government has engaged in enacting various laws to promote gender equality in the community. Such laws include but not limited to laws on equality in marriage, compulsory girl-child basic education, and equal economy opportunity (Word Bank). Despite these efforts, gender profiling is to be blamed for high level of poverty among women in the country. The author of this essay seeks give critical analysis of the way in which genders are constructed in China. A discussion on China's expectations of what it means to be a man and a woman how gender roles have changed over time is also given.
Since the establishment of New China in 1949 the country has been evidently marked with clear cut gender construction in the society. According to available information, women in the Chinese have witnessed gender discrimination practices. Such can be evident in the political, economic, cultural, and social and family life fronts of the community. Based on this reasoning, it is clear that women in the Chinese community are perceived as best suited by household jobs rather than influencing the economic development of the nation (Siu 62). Available statistical data indicate that even after the adoption of the reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s less has been achieved to guaranteeing women enjoyment of equal rights in the society.
The problem of gender construction in China has been blamed on the perceived social, political, and economic capabilities associated with men and women. On these fronts, it is commonly claimed that the feminist factor remains a major concern for ineffective productivity. It is no doubt a constant debate that most working class women in the Chinese society are marked with the problem of enjoying maternity leave, a factor which upon consideration leads to discriminative employment practices against women (Zhang 315). On the other hand, the adoption and enforcement of the one-child policy (of 1970s) in the country has been blamed for fueling gender profiling in the community.
True from numerous research findings, one-child policy in the Chinese nation has significantly influence gender specific abortion practices. Due to the quest for male children, most couples opt to abort girl-child pregnancies (Chang). Such have been closely attributed to the historical perception that men are a sign of authority and success in a family. As an emphasis to this growing trend among most Chinese families, available statistics indicate that in 2005, the ratio of boys to girls reached 118 to 100 (World Bank). This was a significant shift from the 110 to 100 ration reported in 2000. This problem is more in rural areas due to failure by the government to implement an effective social security system in the rural areas.
According to the same statistical reports, rural regions such as the southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan recorded a boy to girl ration of 130 to 100 (World Bank). This has been closely associated with the demand for ensuring sustainable social security among families during their old age. It is worth noting that most families in the rural regions prefer male children as a resource to depend on when they get old. Just to be appreciated is the fact that girl child