This week on Inside the China Room with Jiang Jiang, I’m joined by Professor Yueping Song from the School of Population and Health at Renmin University of China to explore the current landscape of gender equality in China.
In 1995, Beijing hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, where the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action became a global milestone for advancing women’s rights. Thirty years on, as China prepares to host the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women this October, how far has the country come in promoting gender equality and women’s well-rounded development?
In this episode, Professor Song shares her insights on:
how women’s growing participation in higher education in China has impacted women’s career paths and social mobility,
the persistent challenge of balancing career pursuit and family responsibility,
evolving attitudes toward marriage, social roles, and self-fulfillment,
policy efforts to support working women and build a family-friendly society,
and the role of social media in shaping gender discourse.
We also touch on how China’s approach compares with some Western and East Asian countries, and what priorities lie ahead in the face of demographic shifts like population aging and declining birthrates.
Highlights
04:02 - Current legal, educational, workplace, and healthcare landscape for women in China
09:47 - The rise in female higher education enrollment and its role in facilitating social mobility in China
16:28 - Policies supporting family-friendly environments and women’s careers
24:34 - Paternal leave in China: status quo and future outlook
27:33 - Shifting views on personal fulfillment and social roles among Chinese women, with social media as a key factor
34:12 - Song’s take on the differences between Chinese and Western feminism
39:04 - Progress and remaining challenges compared to other Eastern Asian countries
45:01 - Key priorities for advancing women’s development in China over the next decade
50:41 - Song’s recommendation on a TV series exploring the modern Chinese woman’s life
Recommendation
Yueping Song: Ode to Joy (TV series)
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This episode is edited by Yifei Shi.
