Blog 11 Woman could break Chinese political glass ceiling

By the end of next week a new set of leaders will be unveiled in Beijing. There is now speculation that a woman could climb to the top and hold a post in the elite nine-member Standing Committee of the Politburo that governs China. Liu Yandong is a possible candidate for the elite group and she is the only female member of the Politburo.Yandong has strong family ties with the former and current president. She is considered part of the Princeling class. This class is made of sons and daughters of revolutionary veterans who are now part of the elite in China. If she is selected as part of the committee she will more then likely fill the position of “propaganda tsar.” A professor at the University of Texas-Pan America believes that women’s participation in politics in China remains symbolic due to social, culture and political thoughts. Recent data shows that only 2.2% of working women in political representation and China is 63rd in the world by how many women are in the legislative house. The U.S. is ranked 80th in the world with women in the legislative house. There is still gender discrimination with hiring, promotion and in the workplace in China. The gender income gap has also been seen as widening with women earning 67.3% of men’s annual income.


By definition the glass ceiling is an unseen, unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the top of the corporate world. With feminization of poverty becoming more common around the world, seeing women breaking though gender barriers as progress for women but also could add extra burdens to women. With women’s roles in the workforce becoming more expanded they are still expected to maintain work and home responsibilities. The legacy of Patriarchy or male domination over economics and politics has been in place in many societies around the world. To see the possibility of women breaking though the glass ceiling in politics and economics in a country dominated by males and their ideas shows progress in bringing gender equality to the workforce.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/08/world/asia/china-women-politics/index.html?iref=allsearch