China Digital Times

China news tagged with: women’s rights (26)

• Holding Up Half the Sky?

  

  The …In Shanghai blog looks at a recent UNDP report titled, “Power, Voice and Rights: A Turning Point for Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific,” which reports that 96 million women and girls are “missing” from the Asian continent:

  In terms of China, research published last year in the BMJ also showed that this imbalance peaks in rural areas, and will continue be affected since women are ‘marrying out’ into cities. UCL’s Therese Hesketh, one of the paper’s co-authors, told The Guardian,

  In the past, migrants have tended to go back home to permanently settle. But women [now] are finding partners in urban areas and not going back. Men are unable to do that. Urban women will not marry a migrant man; men can’t marry up.

  Besides this imbalance, the report also revealed how women’s access to health, education and employment, their political participation and protection from violence are dire in South Asia in particular. The report said,

  Nearly half of the countries in South Asia, and more than 60 percent of those in the Pacific, have no laws against domestic violence. Nor are there many provisions against sexual harassment in workplaces, though 30 to 40 percent of working women report experiencing verbal, physical or sexual abuse.

  But, highlighting the merits of East Asia, a piece by Ananth Krishnan in The Hindu today proclaimed China’s achievements over India’s in improving the social and economic status of women.

  Read the UNDP report here.

  » Read more
  • March 10, 2010 1:42 PM

• Li Yinhe: “Criticizing the Sex Double Standard”

  

  ChinaGeeks translates a blog post by sociologist Li Yinhe:

  In something that both sides obviously benefit from, enjoy, and voluntarily engage in, traditional thinking conversely holds that one side benefits from [sex] while the other loses something, this is the ‘logic of gain/loss’ about sex. This thousand-year-old patriarchal logic of gain and loss firmly holds that in sexual intercourse, the man gains and the woman pays. If a man ‘does’ a woman, he has profited, if a woman ‘does’ a man, she has lost. Because everyone things this way, and has been thinking this way for too long a time, this has already become perfectly justified, a fact that no one argues over.

  The origins of this gain/loss logic lie in the fact that women were once considered the property of men, and weren’t independent human beings. The buying and selling of marriage is basically just men buying women, and something that has been paid for in money is obviously the purchaser’s property, to be looked after and protected from theft. So women don’t suffer losses/get tricked until they have lost their virginity.

  In a related post, Gina Anne Russo writes (h/t China Beat) about stereotypes of Western women, as defined by Sex and the City, and the status of women in Chinese society:

  As a woman who is quite proud of my independence and my personal choices, I hated being pigeonholed into this “morally degenerate” category. But it seemed like a losing battle; for everyone I told that this was not the case for even most American woman, 10 other Chinese people would continue to have this same stereotype. Over time, I came to hate that show and the way it represented white American women.

  And this stereotype was furthered by advertisements found all over Shanghai. Thinking about it, it is absolutely incredibly how many advertisements depict white women instead of Asian women; it has to be well over half of the advertisements, clearly not indicative of the population. Furthermore, almost all advertisements about lingerie or sexy clothing had white women; advertisements showing good wives or girlfriends in cutesy scenarios were more often than not Chinese. One particular advertisement made me feel naseous; it showed a man and a woman on top of each other, and he is about to touch in her in a way that should be R rated, and not all over the subway (meanwhile, of course, she is all bust). I thought about how the Chinese would react if that girl were not blonde, but instead Zhang Ziyi or some other Chinese star; it would have looked completely out of place. I actually wrote about this when I was writing my thesis last year, as photos in women’s magazines from the 1930s had similar patterns of putting white women in more liberal situations. What I argued (and would argue still) is that this allowed the Chinese population to live vicariously in this liberal, modern society without feeling to threatened by too MUCH moral openness. In a sense, they enjoyed the idea of the liberalism, but also wanted to maintain their own standards of morality and culture, and by seeing white women act this way, their own ideas about morality weren’t under threat.

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  • August 17, 2009 1:09 PM

• They’re Not Going to Take it

  

  Newsweek looks at sexual discrimination in China with the booming sex trade and persistent job discrimination:

  In recent years, the government has attempted to tackle the gender problem. Last year, for example, it launched a high-profile campaign against domestic violence, and in 2005 it introduced new laws against sexual harassment, though the definition remains vague.

  Perhaps more significantly, some Chinese citizens are taking matters into their own hands. In a number of big cities, women-run nongovernmental organizations now provide training and information to migrants to help them avoid falling into the trap of prostitution. The Internet has also helped Chinese women to organize. “It’s had a big impact in filling in the gaps—you can find information about discrimination,” says Sun. Internet activism has been particularly noticeable in recent months: much of the publicity surrounding the case of the Kunming schoolgirls was generated by the blog posts of Wu Hongfei, a well-known rock singer and journalist. And the truth about Deng Yujiao, the waitress who stabbed a Hubei official to death, was revealed only after Wu Gan, another blogger, visited her in the hospital after her arrest—and found her strapped to a bed. His photos, posted online, helped spark public outrage.

  These episodes may be a sign that, as Chinese society becomes more affluent and better educated, concern about the rights of women is increasing. “The young generation who’ve grown up in the cities with a good education have much more of a sense of individual legal rights,” says Jiang of ECNU. Wu, who also tried to help the families involved in the Kunming case, emphasizes, “If society doesn’t provide a fair environment and guarantee legal safeguards, then anyone can become a victim.” That thinking was on full display during the Deng case, when activists in Beijing and Wuhan staged street demonstrations in which bound and gagged women carried placards that asked, who is the next deng yujiao?

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  • August 2, 2009 9:08 PM

• Deng Yujiao Tells Her Story; Protesters Express Support

  

  ESWN translates a Southern Metropolis Daily article in which Deng Yujiao tells what took place on the night she stabbed a local official who attempted to rape her:

  Deng Guida then continued to curse: “What do you mean about working here or upstairs? Aren’t you all the same? You are a prostitute but you still want to have a good reputation.” He also said: “Don’t you want money? You have never seen any money! How much money do you want? Just say so. Would you believe if I am going to beat you to death with money today” He took out a wad of money and used it to slap Deng Yujiao in the face and shoulder. At each slap, Deng Yujiao took one step backwards until she was at the edge of the sofa. She said: “Yes, I have never seen money. If you have the guts, you can beat me to death.” Deng Guida said: “Indeed I’ll beat you to death with money. I am going to summon a truckload of money and squash you to death.”

  The captain once again advised to leave. Deng Yujiao wanted to leave but she was dragged back. Deng Guida said: “You want to run away? Where are you going to run to?” Deng Yujiao tried once more to leave but she was dragged again. Deng Yujiao took out a fruit knife from her pocketbook and held both hands behind her bad. Deng Guida pushed Deng Yujiao on the chest until she fell down onto the sofa. When Deng Yujiao could not get up, she started kicking with both her feet.

  Then Huang Dezhi and Deng Guida both rushed at her. Deng Yujiao took the knife and stabbed in front of her. Deng Guida tried to grab her with both arms. Since Deng Guida was right in front of her, she stabbed her multiple times. Deng Guida then grabbed his stomach, walked towards the door and fell down on the floor. Deng Yujiao saw a knife wound on Deng Guida’s neck, so she called 110 (police). 110 told her to call the Yeshanguan town police station. Deng Yujiao replied: “Someone is dying over at Xiongfeng. Please hurry over.” Then she called her mother and asked her to come over immeidately.

  In Beijing, college students staged a work of performance art to express support for Deng Yujiao. The signs around the bound woman read, “Anyone Could Become a Deng Yujiao.”
  
  
  

  It has also been reported that 42 female college students have written a statement (倡议书) in response to Deng’s case calling on all of society to protect and respect women’s legal rights and human dignity.

  » Read more
  • May 25, 2009 9:32 PM

• Sexual Harrassment Defined for the First Time in Beijing

  

  Danwei translates a report from The Beijing News on amendments to the Law on Protection of Women’s Rights, which would define sexual harassment for the first time:

  Using a mobile phone to send “yellow [pornographic] material” can possibly constitute as sexual harassment now. Yesterday morning, in Beijing new additions were made to the law for the Protection of Women’s Rights; now language, letters, pictures, electronic information, and physical conduct can all be cause for sexual harassment towards women. This is the first time that Beijing has defined the situations in which sexual harassment can happen in Beijing.

  It is understood that “electronic information” basically means text messaging. The specific dividing line [of what is considered sexual harassment] will be decided during real situations. The director of the Law Department in Beijing Zhou Jidong (周继东) said that these actions were taken so that women will have a better idea of self-protection.

  Also added into the draft was the responsibility of the work place in preventing sexual harassment.

  » Read more
  • May 22, 2009 12:26 PM

• Women Rebel over Forced Abortions

  

  International attention is again sharpening on China’s human rights record just ahead of Hilary Clinton’s first visit as U.S. Secretary of State to China.  The Times Online reports on a turn of Chinese public opinion against how China’s family planning policy is enforced, as increasingly more women speak out online about forced abortions and sterilization.

  Even as Chinese media and internet commentators break taboos to report birth control abuses, some officials are stepping up humiliating interventions in the lives of women.

  Those with one child are likely to face regular pregnancy tests and pressure to be sterilised through a range of financial penalties or the threat of being sacked from their jobs.

  Physical coercion to terminate a pregnancy or undergo sterilisation was banned by law in 2002 but numerous reports in the Chinese media claim that it still goes on.

  Chinese women are daring to speak out themselves. Zhang Linla, who has a four-year-old daughter, told a website in Shenzhen, on the border with Hong Kong, that she was subjected to a late forced abortion because she became pregnant again before the period officially allowed between births.

  » Read more
  • February 14, 2009 10:04 PM

• China Jails Liu Lun, Its First Office Sex Pest

  

  From The Times:

  A human resources manager has become the first Chinese man to be found guilty of sexual harassment, in a case that highlights the continuing struggle towards equality for women in China.

  Liu Lun was accused of inviting one of his women staff, Chen Dan, into his office to discuss work matters but then told her that he wanted to become her boyfriend. When the woman turned him down, he held her by the neck and kissed her.“Miss Chen screamed out and fought back. Colleagues next door heard her and called the police,” state media said.

  Liu, who works for a company in southwestern China, was found guilty of using force to act indecently towards a woman, and ordered to serve time in jail. It was the first time that a law enacted in 2005 had been used successfully to prosecute a suspected offender.

  » Read more
  • July 17, 2008 3:35 AM

• Feathers Fly as International Women’s Day Approaches

  

  Women in China may be celebrating early with pillow fights, songs and ceremonies, but human rights advocates hope the Mar. 8 event will draw more sober attention to three imprisoned women activists.

  According to the Feminist Peace Network:

  “Mao Hengfeng petitioned for redress of coercive and abusive implementation of China’s Family Planning Policy. Shuang Shuying petitioned for official intervention in cases of forced eviction. Ye Jinghuan petitioned for a government investigation into an investment scam that cost Chinese workers tens of millions of dollars from their life savings.

  The response to their exercise of the right to petition, protected under Chinese law: all three are in detention and subject to ongoing abusive treatment, including solitary confinement, physical punishment, and denial of medical treatment.

  “In the final lead up to the Olympics, instead of cracking down on and rounding up petitioners and other activists, the Chinese authorities need to constructively address the serious problems petitioners are raising,” said Human Rights in China Executive Director Sharon Hom.

  Each month in 2008, as part of its Olympics Campaign, HRIC features a person imprisoned for “exercising his/her human rights.” This month’s petition focus is on Mao Hengfeng.

  Photos: Xinhua, via CRIENGLISH.com

  
  Women enjoy themselves during a pillow fight at a theme park in Changsha on Mar. 4 to welcome International Women’s Day on Mar. 8.

  
  China honors ten women as national exemplary workers at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Feb. 29.

  
  Ethnic Mongolian women sing and dance to welcome the upcoming International Women’s Day in Qobuqsar County, Xinjiang Uigur Automomous Region on Mar. 2.

  » Read more
  • March 5, 2008 10:48 AM

• A Voice For Rural Women Of China – John M. Glionna

  

  From Los Angeles Times:

  Xie Lihua’s parents wanted a boy. But on the day Xie was born in a poor village in rural Shandong province, her mother learned she had given birth to a second daughter.

  She wept in anger. And she slapped her new baby.

  “Another girl!” she cried.

  The year was 1951. Girls were considered a worthless commodity in an agrarian society that relied upon the strength of young men to flourish. Xie grew up knowing her place — as a handmaiden to her younger brother.

  “My sister and I knew that all the good food went to him — when he was done, then we could eat,” she recalled. [Full Text]

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  • January 1, 2008 11:12 PM

• Shanghai Targets Sexual Harassment – Jude Blanchette

  

  From The Christian Science Monitor:

  At first, Sarah Cheng didn’t realize that she had been sexually harassed. Then the woman next to her on the bus told her that the man who’d just brushed up against her had done it intentionally.

  “That was a watershed moment for me,” says the young Shanghai native, who prefers to go by an English name. “After that, I now see inappropriate behavior that is often directed towards women in the city.”

  Aware that many of the city’s female residents have been victims of unwanted sexual advances, Shanghai has become the first city in China to define what constitutes sexual harassment. [Full Text]

  » Read more
  • June 7, 2007 5:48 AM

• The Long Road to Equality for Chinese Women – Kent Ewing

  

  Asia Times reports on the progress, and lack thereof, in women’s rights in China in recent years:

  “Women hold up half the sky,” said Mao Zedong. And indeed, they now account for 45% of China’s workforce and 40% of positions in government. So the Chinese leadership was within its rights last week to boast of the progress women have made under Communist Party rule. What officials don’t say, however, is that there is still a long way to go for Chinese women, and the road to equality remains blocked at key points. [Full text]

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  • May 21, 2007 8:39 PM

• China Cites Some Advances for Women – Ching-Ching Ni

  

  The Los Angeles Times writes about a government report which declares that life is getting better for the country’s women:

  Since the implementation of two programs aimed at improving the lives of women and children in 2001, more than 4 million rural women have been lifted out of poverty, according to Huang. Women’s average life expectancy reached 74.1 years, and infant mortality rate dropped by 41 percent. Virtually all young people attend the compulsory nine ears of school, and literacy among the young and middle-aged last year reached 98 percent, she said.

  Despite the government’s glowing statements, other reports have been less optimistic about the situation of women and the rural poor. [Full text]

  » Read more
  • May 15, 2007 9:30 PM

• Women Will Rule OK in Chinese Tourist Town – Independent

  

  The Independent reports on a unique attempt to draw tourists:

  The city of Chongqing in south-west China – the world’s biggest city by some estimates with 32 million people – is planning to build a town dedicated to women in its Shuangqiao district.

  The municipal motto is “Women are never wrong” and the project will be modelled on a town depicted in one of China’s most famous literary masterpieces, The Monkey King. Authorities hope it will bring in tourists keen for a bit of role reversal.

  » Read more
  • April 28, 2007 8:28 AM

• Chinese Slough Off Old Barriers to Divorce – Maureen Fan

  

  From the Washington Post:

  Divorce, once nearly unheard of in China, has become more common than ever as women such as Wu gain financial independence and shrug off the diminishing stigma of leaving their husbands. Legal barriers to divorce have fallen away — couples needed permission from their employers until just four years ago — and the Internet has become a resource for discontented spouses seeking guidance.

  More broadly, experts say, the increase in divorce points to an embrace of individualism in this country, which in many ways remains only nominally communist. [Full text]

  » Read more
  • April 6, 2007 9:02 PM

• Chinese women to have greater say in legislature – Xinhua

  

  From Xinhua:

  China will have more women deputies to the next National People’s Congress (NPC), or parliament, according to a bill being discussed at the ongoing annual session of the 10th NPC.

  The bill, to be put for voting next week, says that “the proportion of women deputies to the 11th National People’s Congress should be no less than 22 percent.”

  The percentage of women deputies in China’s top legislature has stayed at around 20 percent since the election of the Fifth NPC deputies in 1978.

  Although it only concerns a rise of two percentage points, the proposed change was still warmly hailed by lawmakers attending the current annual session.

  “This is the first time that the ratio of women deputies has been clarified. I believe it will help increase women’s influence on major polices and reflect women’s rights and appeals,” said Zhang Meilan, a woman NPC deputy from the remote southwestern province of Yunnan. [Full Text]

  » Read more
  • March 10, 2007 10:40 AM

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