The Economist’s Analects blog reports on the present condition of women in China. The article focuses on urban women and their changing values on work and family:
Kate Ba is in her late 20s and works at a public relations firm in Beijing. While men might still wield a lot of the power, says Ms Ba, more women are rising through the ranks and they are not afraid of pursuing their own career goals. “My generation are just now starting to become managers, and in the future I think we’ll see more women as presidents and CEOs, far more than in my mother’s generation.”
Yet, according to the article, women with successful careers have their worries as well:
Those women who do want to start a family can find it difficult to break out of the newfound career track. Many women complain that the more successful and financially independent a woman becomes, the harder it can be to settle down. This prompts the fear of becoming a shengnü or “left-behind woman”.
[…]Other, older problems are even more serious. Many women working in China experience sexual harassment and discrimination based on gender or marital status. Retrograde attitudes clash with the desire of young women to be able to express themselves without being harassed.
See also:
– Amy Chua profiles Four Female Tycoons from China, via The Daily Beast
– For China’s Women, More Opportunities, More Pitfalls, via CDT.
