Women in Ancient China

Author : Dr. Umesh kumar

Abstract :Women in China make up approximately 49% of the population. During the Mao Era many policies were carried out to promote gender equality. In ancient china the freedom and opportunities available to women varied depending on the time period and regional situation. Women status like mens closely tied to the Chinese kinship system. From the ancient Chinese view the family structure is micro system of the political system. A prejudiced preference for son’s has long exists in China leading to high rates of female infanticide. There was also a strong traditions of restricting women freedom of movement. Older Chinese traditions surrounding marriage included many ritualistic steps. During the Han Dynasty a marriage lacking a dowry or betrothal gift was seen as dishonourable. Only after gifts were exchanged would a marriage proceed and a bride would be taken to live in the ancestral home of new husband. Many family follows the Confucian teaching regarding honouring their elders. In the 1880s and 1890s both male and female Chinese reformists intellectuals concerned with the development of china to a modern country raised faminists issue and gender equality . Female figurines representing either goddesses or fertility symbols have been found at several sights of the Hongshen culture in Liaoning province as well as the Xinglongwa culture in eastern inner Mongolia. Early reformers including Liang Qichao a scholar a Journalists and political reformer in the last year’s of the Qing dynasty were one of the first in the late imperial china to consider the women Question. Many changes in women lives took place during the Republic of China(1912-1949). The formerly routine occurence of women suicide to avoid arranged marriage become an important centre of debate for Chinese feministsThe examples of the play’s Nora furthers Fueled racial intellectuals and the discussion of women role in China. During china’s land reform movement the communists party encouraged rural women in achieving a double fashion a revolutionary Transformations as both a peasant and a feminist awakening as a women. The party urged rural women to reject traditional Chinese assumptions about their role in society. Conclusion: This texts or article we have presented focuses on women feminist,women role in ancient china with some feminist issue

Keywords :Ancient China, Chinese reformists, feminist issue, rural women, regional situation.

Conference Name :International Conference on History of Philosophy (ICHP-25)

Conference Place Guwahati, India

Conference Date 19th Oct 2025