Half of the Sky

Thousands of years have passed, Chinese women taste the sad and bitterness of hardships, suffer from all kinds of oppression. They bear feudal and ethical chains; on the surface they are in dependency, but in reality do not have independent personality, do not have self-consciousness. Their political and economical status is low; this makes them lose their value as a human being. These dependencies did not disappear until the establishment of the Republic of China. Chinese women together with Chinese men build socialist China hand in hand. Though the problems concerning women's liberation had already been proposed in late Qing, but the type and the direction are significantly different than the one proposed in the Republic Era. Through a series of political movements and foreign wars to motivate the feeling for patriotism, Late Qing and the Republic of ChinaЎ¦s women's liberation movement are highly coated with nationalism. Under such national factor, women were finally been paid attention and be brought to the equal position as men. It was because of womenЎ¦s contribution to the country and the nation that they are paid attention to, , but the government at that time certainly did not cared about women's own problems, such as birth control issue, employment issue, culture, family, etc.; the liberation development is not only one-sided but imperfect as well. Until under the leadership of proletariat, the process of women's liberation finally takes a big step forward. Woman's personal liberation begins to receive serious concern from national leaders, from now on women can stand on the historical stage with men in new era.

Mao Zedong points out: "Women's liberation, protruding different army.ЎЁ This reflects the New China does recognize the potential lie within women. The Republic of China starts out with poor economy. To make the economic recovery as soon as possible, the government realized they must liberate the womenЎ¦s power since they are half of the population. Women have been favored by the country in period of economic transition when the country is still developing; in all aspects like politics, economy, culture, and marriage are all making a great leap forward. At the beginning of the republic, series of stat laws are proposed to ensure woman's development and status in various fields. The goal is to utilize the law for women's liberation movement at that time, and offer the favorable objective environment plus helping women to liberate herself. Thereafter the country has implemented a succession of laws and ensured the women's right, for example the marriage law, election law, constitution of 1954, compulsory education law of 1986 of 1953 issued in 1950, "The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women " of another meaning of 1992, there are various kinds of varied labour law, protection pregnant woman's regulations, etc.. The laws and regulations above ensure womenЎ¦s rights and interests with politics, economy, and culture of various fields.

In fact, the country can only offer to women is a better environment and chances. What truly liberates them is their hold of this opportunity, diligently trying their best for the greatest good of the society, therefore confirms one's value through the contributions while strengthen the economy, and receive the approval of the society. In the 1950s under the arrangement of country, no matter on the rural or urban area, women put their efforts into social construction and produce one after another. In the countryside, the majority of peasant women started collective farming with their husbands on the fields, and participates in the agricultural production as to prove one's own ability and contribution to the society; In the city, the biggest working stratum is female workers. They support the first Ў§Five Year Plan of National EconomyЎЁ and work in factories, contributing their strength to the society. Today the WomenЎ¦s Liberation is able to achieve such success; the key element is not only of the countryЎ¦s aid but also from womenЎ¦s own awareness and struggles.

The woman political right meaning female citizen which manage the national affairs through various kinds of legal ways, such as manage the economic and cultural undertakings and manage the social affairs, also carry on the right of the supervision to the government office. The rights for female to participate is political decision making is the highest representation of womenЎ¦s human right. In China, women participate in government and political affairs issue no longer than a year, but establishment of new China allows an establishment of a refined system for women to be politically active. The Communist Party of China stated women has the same right as men when participating in politics. Also the