When China’s new leader Mao Zedong announced the formation of the Communist People’s Republic of China in 1949 he promised nothing less than a complete transformation of Chinese society. For years the Chinese had been derided as ‘The sick man of Asia’ — a backward nation held back by an outdated society. Mao attempted to radically change this, promising to modernise China.
The situation of China’s women before 1949 was appalling. Traditional Chinese society was strictly patriarchal. Girls were less economically productive than boys, so the birth of a daughter was not considered a cause for celebration. Many baby girls were victims of infanticide. Valued only for their appearance, many girls had their feet bound — a process designed to stunt their growth because small feet were considered to be attractive to prospective suitors who would be willing to pay a higher ‘brideprice’ to the family for a more attractive wife.
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