1950s Marriage Law
- It was the second law the PRC brought in - suggesting it was a priority
- Gave women equality
- Emphasised the importance of monogamy
- It said that women should have a free choice of marriage partner - outlawed arranged marriages and dowries
- Divorce became possible even if only one party requested it - unless the wife was pregnant or had a child under one year old
- Children born out of wedlock had equal status to children born to married parents
- Divorce rates rose for example in Gansu divorce rates rose by 60%
Fertility
- From the 1950s women in urban areas could get contraception (1960s in rural areas)
- In 1971 Mao made a statement to say that population growth should be reduced by 2% as there were concerns about there not being enough resources in the future
- In 1970s there was a campaign for two child families
- During the Great Famine men were prioritised so women often missed out on food
- Not including the great famine food supplies increased and life expectancy for women also increased at a greater rate than men
- In urban industry women were often in lower paid jobs or those with very few benefits
- Between 1949 and 1976 the proportion of women in work increased from 8% to 23% (four times) but were still only one third of the work force
- Counted as equal in some respects as were allocated land during redistribution
- Marriage law meant they could hold land in their own name
- Freed from domestic duties as there was communal eating and nurseries
- Cadres valued women's work less and women were given less work points for a days work
Status during the Cultural Revolution
- "Men and women are the same. What men can do women can also do." Quote by Mao it was used a lot and often printed at the front of published books
- Many women were eager to get involved and escape family constraints and gain independence
- Often only those willing to engage in the same level of violence as men were properly accepted into the red guard
- Family life was attacked as it was one of the "Four olds". Children were encouraged to inform on relatives and were taught that Mao and the CCP were their real parents - this undermined the role of women as mother
- In 1951 the total enrolment of females in Primary education was 28% which rose to 43.7% in 1974
- On the whole women were less inclined than men as they had domestic duties
- In 1971 only 30% of students at Peking university were women
Foot Binding
- Restricted movement - male control
- Outlawed 1911
- Persisted in some rural areas
- CCP banned - but was already in decline
- In the early years of the PRC simplicity were praised
- Women in the red guard cut their hair short and took on a military style
- Some women were humiliated or attacked for their appearance - for example those with long or permed hair or women wearing dresses
- They were not condemned for their femininity but for class reasons
Ding Ling
- Stood for women's rights but still considered herself a Marxist
- Unlike Mao who believed focusing on feminism distracted women from real political issues
- Wrote an essay in 1942 criticising men who abandoned their old wives for young attractive ones
- In 1956 only 4% of the central committee were women. This rose to 8% in 1969 and 10% in 1975
- In 1950 10% of the party was women
- CCP organisation that pressed for change to women's status and rights
- It was most influential between 1949 and 1957
- Generally followed the Party line
- Closed down in 1968 but was revived after Mao's death
Yang Kaihui
- Married in 1920 (when she was 19 and Mao was 27)
- Second Marriage
- She was executed in 1930 for refusing to denounce Mao
- 3 sons over seven years
- Married in 1928 (She was 28 and Mao was 35)
- Committed member of the CCP
- Mao's secretary
- Had a mental breakdown
- Died in 1984
- Married in 1938 (When she was 26 and he was 45)
- Mao had a succession of girlfriends at the same time
- She became a public figure
- Misogynistic caricatures of her arrived
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