“Shine of Pearls”: Opportunities and Prospects for Women’s Participation in Socio-Political Life in Modern China

Abstract

The article raises the problem of women’s participation in the socio-political life of modern China. Despite the efforts made by the Communist Party to involve women in economic and political activity, today China lags behind world leaders in this area. The aim is to identify and describe the most significant factors constraining the reduction of gender inequality in the country and the growth of women’s representation in party and government structures. The authors focus on the culture of Chinese society as the main discriminating factor. Describing several generations of Chinese women, starting with the formation of the PRC, the authors characterize the different approaches of the CPC to increasing their involvement in socio-political processes in the country. The difficulties associated with the destruction of gender stereotypes are most obvious in the political sphere, where women still rarely achieve leadership positions. Politics is still perceived as a man’s business, and a woman’s participation in it not only conflicts with her family functions, but can also cause public censure. The authors believe that a noticeable change in the situation can occur due to demonstration and cumulative effects, when, on the one hand, the Communist Party expands opportunities for women to participate in its activities, thereby giving an important political signal to society, and, on the other hand, an increasing number of women receive higher education and achieve career success in the socio-economic sphere, and their activity outside the family will become the norm.