The evolution of Chinese and French women since the nineteenth century: Differences and similarities

Résumé du document

In the two last Centuries, French women and Chinese ones have realized, little by little, their emancipation. What are the matrixes which have participated to the positive evolution of the condition of the Chinese and French women? Under which form has it taken place, and at which moments in the history? Have they been a success or a failure? What are the differences between France and China in the way to the women's emancipation? First of all, it is necessary to recall the definition of feminism: The term itself appeared in 1874 in France, when Charles FOURIER, a French socialist philosopher used it for the first time. But actually, the feminist movement was born before that that is to say during the French Revolution.

Feminism is a movement which claims the recognition and the extension of women rights in the society. It is derived from sociological theories (birth of « Gender Studies » in the U.S), political movements (such as socialism especially) and from moral philosophies concerning the situation of women in their political, economical and social context. As a social movement, feminism has got as main purposes the struggle against the sexual discrimination, the promotion of women rights in the civil society and the defense of their interests.

We can notice that both gender studies and feminism movements have always been lead by and for women principally, which is not by chance. Feminists demand the recognition of women as real individuals, independent and able to manage their own lives by themselves. In short, feminism can be sum up in the famous sentence of Simone de Beauvoir.

Extraits

[...] France has to deal with other problems. First of all, it has been showed that it still does exist strong sexual discriminations at work, although the Bill Roudy of 1983, which has been reinforced by another act voted in 2000 to struggle against the social discrimination at work : indeed, not only the French women earn 20% less than males for the same job, but also they are, once arrived to a certain level in their career, blocked to rise again in the hierarchy of the companies ; this phenomenon is called the Plafond de verre literally : the glass ceiling These inequalities are in general justified by the managers that women cost more expensive given that they have less time to accord to their career, and also given that they have to take some maternity vacations and so on . [...]

[...] Feet binding was a deep-rooted tradition in China, and was besides, seen as a mark of gentility and was most prevalent in the upper classes. Moreover, this custom that today we consider as barbarous was romanticized and even eulogized in the society, and the so-called purpose of that habit was that the smallest were the most beautiful ones. The foot considered as «the ideal foot was the one which was reduced to three inches in length from heel to toe The painful of women who were foot bound contrasted with the widely spread poetic appreciation of men. [...]

[...] Unmarried daughters could be still sell by their family as concubines or prostitutes, and, of course, the custom of child bride was more common among the poorest classes in the rural areas than among the richer ones. Also, in general, polygamy was very spread among the population, while in France, given that the marriage was a religious act, polygamy was totally forbidden. In China, the richest of the local lords had very often numerous wives, concubines and slaves girls from whom they benefited both for their own sexual pleasures and by females' labor in domestic industry. [...]

[...] In China, the fact that women started to work, had as consequence that, for the first time, in complete opposition with their ancient confinement to private sphere, women were now able to develop a collective identity, capable to take some independence from their respective families and the Chinese old traditions. So, women started to have new alternatives. In the Twentieth Century, little by little, they succeeded to play a role and to participate to political movements. It marked the end of their so long confinement inside the household and private sphere. [...]

[...] For instance, the revolution of 1789 provides women few individual rights. For the first time, the law allows women to inherit, in equality with males. Besides, the marriage, which is now a civil act and not anymore one, is not submitted anymore to the authorization of the father, and women are, in theory, free to choose their husband independently. The right to divorce is accorded, but only by mutual consent between the two spouses, or if one asks for it, but only at certain conditions, such as crime, madness and things like that. [...]