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Women and Development - Women and Politics

10 important questions on Women and Development - Women and Politics

Which actions did the Communist Party undertake to bring women into the political process?

Creating affirmative action programs
Setting quotas or targets for the minimum participation of women in political bodies
Establishing the All-China Women's Federation

What is the All-China women's Federation?

This is a national body established by the Communist Party which has to oversee women's interests. It has branches in each province, county and town.

Describe what critics have said about the All-China women's Federation.

The critics argue that the federation is not an organization arising in response to women's own initiatives. Rather it is a government controlled bureaucracy controlled by the Communist Party to transmit and implement policies directed at women.

Why does the state commitment to equality lack credibility?

Although state quotas have brought women into politics where they otherwise might be completely absent, the state commitment to equality lacks credibility because the proportions of women in political bodies tend to be very low and their positions only secondary and marginal.

Example: The Politburo, the highest body within the Communist Party, is led by a core group of nine people; the Standing Committee. No women has ever been in the Standing Committee.

The UN Development Report determines China's position in the gender empowerment index on the proportion of women in the National People's Congress. Why is this considered a non-effective method for China?

In China, the National People's Congress consists of nearly 3.000 members. It is considered a body too large for actual decision-making. In the meetings of the Congress decisions already made in other bodies are discussed and ratified.

(The Chinese even joke that the National People's Congress members' can only vote yes and applaud speeches of Communist leaders. This suggests that the NPC is not taken seriously and thus not a good benchmark to determine equality).

How does the government try to hide women's marginal positions in government bodies in its reports?

In government reports on female participation in governmental bodies on regional levels, positions like 'head' and 'deputy head' or 'chief' and 'deputy chief' are combined. This way it seems as if 4-6% of the city mayors, township heads and county chiefs etc. are women. However, the majority of the women are (only) at the deputy or vice-mayor level, with actually no women holding the highest position in party or government at provincial, autonomous region or administered cities levels.

What kind of responsibilities do Chinese women in politics usually have?

They are usually responsible for issues concerning women, children, health and education which are considered less influential positions.

During the Cultural Revolution women went beyond the typical women's slots in rural areas. What could have been a possible reason for this?

During the Cultural Revolution educted youths, including women, were sent to the countryside, where their literacy and knowledge of bureaucracy was useful to village governments negotiating with outside officials. Those urban, educated women who were sent to rural areas thus had a chance to assume political positions at the lower levels of the political hierarchy.

Why were few women selected in the countryside for political positions after the Cultural Revolution (during reform periods)?

In this period educated youth were no longer sent to the countryside and those who had gone there during the Cultural Revolution returned to their cities. Leadership was left to the native villagers again, after which men took on all political positions again.

There are only a few women active in village leadership. They usually are an atypical group of women. Why?

Because they are usually women who did not marry outside the village into which they were born.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

Understanding contemporary China | 9781588268440 | Robert E Gamer

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Women and Development - Women and Politics

10 important questions on Women and Development - Women and Politics

Which actions did the Communist Party undertake to bring women into the political process?

What is the All-China women's Federation?

Describe what critics have said about the All-China women's Federation.

Why does the state commitment to equality lack credibility?

The UN Development Report determines China's position in the gender empowerment index on the proportion of women in the National People's Congress. Why is this considered a non-effective method for China?

How does the government try to hide women's marginal positions in government bodies in its reports?

What kind of responsibilities do Chinese women in politics usually have?

During the Cultural Revolution women went beyond the typical women's slots in rural areas. What could have been a possible reason for this?

Why were few women selected in the countryside for political positions after the Cultural Revolution (during reform periods)?

There are only a few women active in village leadership. They usually are an atypical group of women. Why?

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