Chinese students at Fort Hamilton High School have been discouraged by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) determination to send women back into traditional roles at the opening of the 13th National Women’s Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China from Monday, October 23, 2023, to Thursday, October 26, 2023.
The National Women’s Congress happens every five years to show the CCP’s efforts for women’s rights and gender equality. But this year, the CCP plans to reverse the trend by encouraging women to focus on their placement as wives and homemakers.
According to Politburo standing committee member Ding Xuexiang, Chinese women should “study and implement Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture” and “establish a correct outlook on marriage and love, childbirth and family.”
But with traditional principles on the table, Fort’s Chinese students are concerned for their female relatives back in China.
“There’s an aunt that does work and is younger, but I’m sure she wouldn’t be happy with having to stay at home,” said senior Lux Zhang. “If one of the aunts stops working, it would be harder to keep affording to live like how they do now.”
Although women are the focus of concern, students have also been worried about their male relatives.
“The males of the family will also be quite upset because we are always told to get a good job and not settle down too early,” says a junior who wishes to remain anonymous out of personal privacy. “Forcing women could also force men [to settle down], which will make even fewer people want to get married.”
While some students are against the CCP’s propositions, a few aren’t bothered by them.
“Just because they said so doesn’t mean it’ll actually happen because, in modern-day China, a lot of husbands actually listen to their wives,” said senior student and member of Fort’s Asian Culture Club, Amy Chen.
According to China’s current President, Xi Jinping, women should “create a new trend of family.”
This is a response to the country’s demographic crisis. Marriage rates have also plummeted as many young adults choose prioritizing their jobs instead of settling down.
According to the New York Times article, “China’s Male Leaders Signal to Women That Their Place Is in the Home,” by the Shanghai bureau chief for the New York Times, Alexandra Stevenson, China is facing an economic slump.
Therefore, young adults are cautious of their financial wellness and would save their money rather than spend on marriage and children.
“Even keeping women from the workforce just wouldn’t work out because that indicates that corporations will have to give up half of their employees, which will lead to more economic problems,” said Chen in a follow-up interview
For more information about the correlation between China’s demographic struggles and women’s roles, check out the Voa News article, “Facing Demographic Crisis, China Pushes Women Back Into the Home,” by Kelly Tang, Adrianna Zhang, and Bo Gu.
To support and stay updated about women empowerment in China, visit the All-China Women’s Federation’s (ACWF) website.
