LEFTOVER WOMEN

Leftover Women - Gender Inequality Resurrection In China Today

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Gender inequality was a problem in society. Society recognizes that men and women are

not equal, so the individual gender has a significant impact on the experience. There are several

causes of gender inequality in society that arise from different identities in psychology, cultural

norms and values. Most of these differences are socially constructed, and other empirical

foundations often convince members of society that everything they are doing is correct. Gender

inequality has also affected society (HAGIA, 2020). There were many feminist groups and

humanitarian organizations at the forefront of supporting equality in society. However, illiteracy

is one of the main causes of gender inequality in society. Gender-based discrimination is unfair

treatment and a variation of rights between women and men, based on different gender roles in

life. Sexism and gender inequality are social situations that are abused in the gender community.

The above differences are significant about biological factors, particularly in neutralizing

the reproductive functions of food. This final misconception is based on misunderstandings

about the position of each sex in life. In today's world, women's perceptions of misery and

hostility are viewed from different angles. However, the way that sexism and gender

discrimination are practiced in one place is different from another location. An example is that

the gender gap in the workplace widens when starting a career in the workplace, not especially

variable pay . Discrimination is observed at work through gender differences and paid amounts.

In the field of education, it is assumed that, in ancient times, they had the opportunity to go to

school. Young women generally have fewer opportunities for university education than younger

men

The issue of inequality has been focused on women in society, as they are considered

inferior to men. Due to a lack of education, more than 700 million people worldwide cannot read
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or write, and girls represent more than 60% of that population. For example, a child with an

anxious mother is less likely to survive and adapt to changes in society; that is why inequality

was at the forefront of society. Many factors are based on the values of community and believe

that the majority discriminates against women. The illiteracy rate was then considered the most

effective cause of inequality in society, since the majority of women did not dare to defend their

rights and, therefore, further widened the difference. If you were born in the 90s and have not yet

married, unfortunately, you are listed as a "surviving woman" and establishes the average age of

marriage - 26, based on a survey published by the Federation of Women All China. If some of

the "brothers" intend to express all hope, without resorting to the corresponding events to form

pairs unexpectedly, the group of people born in the 1980s is not the most competitive, but these

teenagers whose age is around 18 years old.

In a country that is run by Communist patriarchy, China's last remaining matriarchy (a

societal structure in which women have more power over men in decision making and control

over families) can be found in the South-West of China, sharing borders with the Sichuan and

Yunnan provinces. The area known as Lugu Lake is home to about 40,000 residents called the

Mosuo. There are stark differences between traditional, modern Chinese values and those that

are upheld by the Mosuo people. This essay will consider differences between Mosuo and

mainstream modern Chinese society, mainly focusing on the positions of the women in each

community, along with their relative freedoms and rights.

Modern China privileges male babies over female ones because they are regarded as

more reliable, and will be able to care for their parents when they become senior citizens. In the

matriarchal society of the Mosuo, women are honored as the wisest. The grandmothers of each

household have the upper hand in decision making for the clan, do physical labor, and are in
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charge of household finances. Some say that Mosuo women are like glorified homemakers

because the men sit back while doing little to no physical work. While the older generations

prefer this method of ruling, Mosuo women in the twenty-first century are less willing to

preserve this long-standing traditional way of life.

While the "Leftover" of female miracles remains in China due to the stark contrasts of

people in contemporary China, this piece focuses on the extremes and consequences of social

change in events (shengnu). In the Chinese population of just over 1.4 billion, there are about 34

million more men than women who have never had a relationship or marriage with women. This

is a sign that the child understood the Chinese government in the late 1970s to push for the

improvement of a rapidly growing population. The impact of this methodology is still evident in

contemporary China, with people, despite everything leaning towards just two young people,

with young people in their decision, which left the country with a developing population. This

was viewed as one of the main reasons why the Chinese government is putting weight and shame

on women and single men to marry younger individuals. The influence of others raised several

issues, including how women are deeply censored by the state media and socially dismissed for

not following a standard sexual position. While various men in common areas face the test, they

have no other choice to pay woman's expenses, for example, squeals or wedding expenses and

despite the increasing weight of human-made and fixed skills. in the system, the family lining

gets married and continues. The standard for late and single marriage is something that is found

in China and Western countries and social orders. Following the discussion of early stages and

waste issues in China, China will be compared to Western nations on related topics.

Previously, marriage was common in traditional Chinese culture, as various societies

around the globe. At the end of China, in any event, there was a possible collapse in marriage
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and an extension of the rate of separation. In 2018, 10.1 million relationships were listed, down

from the 13.5 million recorded in 2013. In 1979, China implemented the one-child strategy,

prompting an exaggeration of a significant sexual orientation in Chinese male-centric culture,

where women were for the benefit of women. In 2013, there were 51.3 million women aged 20

to 29 and 73.8 million single men between these ages. This stimulates the 'marital strain, as

exemplified by Guttentag and Secord (1983), which implies that sex inequality means leaving

single individuals and the general public such as China, where more women practicing

hyperlinks with women. The rest are mostly men, at least on the financial scale. (Chen, 2016).

To reiterate, a matriarchy is not merely a society in which women hold the most power.

Many mistakes this type of ruling as a simple reversal of patriarchy in which women rule over

men; however, this is untrue. The fundamental values of matriarchies lie upon those that are

maternal, which include care-taking and nurturing that is the duty of both men and women in a

matriarchy. Moreover, this type of ruling is one that tends to the needs of everyone within the

community, which is because of its grounding in maternal values. Matriarchies remain balanced,

as there is no need for a social hierarchy, besides the grandma carrying the most power in the

family. Differences between individuals are greatly respected, which is why it is such a peaceful

society to reside within.

Matriarchies can be divided into four levels that must be satisfied to maintain an

organized community. In no particular order, there is an economic level, a political level, a social

level, and a cultural and spiritual level. In a matriarchal economy, the goal is to achieve

economic mutuality. Women distribute goods and, in return, receive necessities they need. This

way of exchange is seen as the gift economy, as it is based on the circulation of gifts. The

politics within a matriarchy are based on the utilization of consensus. Clan houses are the basis
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of decision making, and a male delegate represents these. It is more so an egalitarian form of the

agreement because it promotes equality within the entire society. At the social level, matrilineal

kinship is the foundation in which the community lives. This includes characteristics from

matrilineal ideals that follow the relationship with the mother or female line, as well as from

matrilocal models meaning the type of marriage in which the husband goes to live with the wife's

family. It can be described as a non-hierarchical society of matrilineality. Matriarchies are

spiritually and culturally driven by the belief that the whole world originated from the Feminine

Divine. (Goettner-Abendroth, Matriarchal Societies)

The way a matriarchy is structured depends on the clan as well as the "symbolic order of the

mother." (Goettner-Abendroth, Matriarchy) In a matriarchy, mothers are not always biological;

some women choose to be the mother of any children that a sister may have. Matriarchal

societies are composed of clans within a matri-clan, and there are typically three generations of

women, plus their brothers, nephews, and uncles. The economy is considered one of subsistence,

where no one owns private property because it belongs to Mother Earth. Matriarchal politics are

based upon the dogma of consensus, where the decision-making starts within an individual clan.

Spiritually, a male God is not regarded as a higher being. Their concept of the universe and how

it came to stem from the belief that the Great Goddess birthed everything, including the Great

Mother, which brought life to Earth (Detailed Record).

One way that the Mosuo matriarchy differs from conventional matriarchal societies is in their

marriage customs. They carry out the practice of "zuo hun," or "walking marriage," which allows

women to go through as many partners as they please throughout their lifetime. Before they can

marry, the young girls must stay in the main house until they turn thirteen years old. By this age,

the young women are considered adults and move to live in their rooms within a building called
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the "flower house." At a young girl's initiation, the mother dresses her in garments worn by

grown Mosuo women's clothing, and the girl is given a key to her room. The clothes also signify

the reincarnation of an ancestor through a child. (Boys in the Mosuo clan also have an initiation

ceremony, but it is not as important as a girl's because she carries the future life of the clan.)

In a Mosuo clan, there are 12 to 20 people who reside in their mother's clan house. The

main house is one that is beautifully furnished and is more presentable. The main attraction of

the house is its hall, where ancestors are worshipped. It is also a place of feasting, entertainment,

and use for meetings. The young women's quarters, also known as the flower house, is separately

located from the main house. It is where the women's' "azhu" (sweetheart) stay overnight and

leave the next morning to return to their clan. The men of the clan have a single shared room

because, at night, they sleep in his zhu's clan house.

The tradition of Zuo hun is passed down through generations of women. However, more

recently, the youngest generation has slowly gravitated to desiring a more Han-led lifestyle. A

Han family structure is run like a business. There is ahead, a treasurer manager (someone who

runs finances) and the family members who work together. This type of living is also known for

its monogamous marriage where the family is settled down and outside of the small town, and

they visit home rather than stay in one place their whole life. In mainstream modern China,

according to Goettner-Abendroth, "Matriarchal Societies," "socialist monogamy and male power

are encouraged." This way of thinking allows men to reach higher levels of hierarchical power,

thus emulating patriarchal ideals.

In more recent years, communism in China has spread western-influenced ideologies into

the Mosuo society. "Elder women, the custodians and managers of the family, are seen as

obstacles to the region's technological 'development,' as are the time and energy that young
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people invest in their 'azhu' relationships." (Goettner-Abendroth, "Matriarchal Societies") In

1983, the central government opened villages along the Lugu Lake to bring in Chinese male

tourism. The effect brought more profit but, in turn, reduced their culture to just an attraction.

The Mosuo women were exploited for sex since their culture allows multiple partners.

The Mosuo's ancient ceremony for walking marriages is called "Cang Ba La," meaning

honoring the Kitchen God Bodhisattva as well as their ancestors. Typically, it is commenced at

midnight in the bride's home, and there are no gifts, meals, or friends who attend. It is polite for

the groom's family to invite a voucher to escort the groom to the bride's house. Upon arrival, the

groom introduces himself to the bride's mother and mother's siblings. He bears gifts for the

elders and juniors of the family. Following that, the groom bows to the Kitchen God, ancestors,

and the elders while receiving blessings from the elders and sisters of the bride's family. Finally,

the voucher clarifies any issues to the bride's mother and her siblings, which is then when the

relationship between the bride and groom is open (Washington)

In these services, Mosuo women wear a traditional dress. This includes "... floor skirts,

white or light blue, with beautifully shaded scarves. The coats are made of dark red or velvet silk

and, on the head, wear the hair with a dark crown, intertwined with wool cords. And [Link]

shadows of the clothes that confirm the women's survival phase: white skirt and red coat for

girls, a white dress and dark coat for women with young people., young women, exceptional

tones show their respect for the value of their give up, and at the small chance they need, to have

children ".

Chinese male-controlled societies depend on the structure of the procedure. This

procedure involves the development and division of the family with births, relationships,
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passages, and so on. Meyer Fortes named this result of the iterative process as the Development

Cycle. Each family structure is exemplified "by the progression of rules that operate within the

major requirements of a natural human propagation schedule." The Chinese family structure

works primarily to transfer properties across all ages, and has shaped how the rest of the family's

capabilities have been solved.

In this patriarchal family structure, there are eight functions that the family follows.

But, even though Mosuo women have more authority than men, they are still limited in what

they can do. For instance, young women are shamed by grandmothers when they listen to or sing

along with non-Mosuo music. They are also not encouraged to wear makeup because it does not

follow the traditions of the culture. A major limiting factor in Mosuo lives is that they must

remain within their clan. Both parties in a Mosuo marriage remain within their matrilineal

families for their entirety of their lives. Although this is the traditional way of life, it hinders

individuals from their personal growth because they remain stagnant in their clans, as they are

surrounded by the same people for their whole life.

Gender equality has been a topic of debate because of the gender differences that are

evident around the world. Gender equality is a requirement for equal sharing of roles and

resources in both sexes. Women have suffered gender inequality for centuries, which is why this

topic has been debated for a long time. The world wants to guarantee equality in society and

receives equal access to resources and opportunities, regardless of gender. Gender equality is not

achievable because the potential for gender equality is practically zero, and not everyone is

supporting the global campaign for justice. Most states and countries do not provide and fight for

gender equality, as women's rights are discriminated against. In these communities, men were

supervised by women's decisions and actions. Despite efforts to ensure equality in the world,
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people continue to ask whether true gender equality is possible. Therefore, it is necessary to

discuss this issue and explore the reasons why people believe that gender equality is incredible.

Many people question whether gender equality can be achieved since many campaigns were

launched to empower women in society. For centuries, women were considered inferior because

they had no right to compete and access opportunities similar to those of men. That is why

gender differences exist when men are perceived to be superior and have priority over access to

resources and opportunities. On the other hand, women are severely limited by men who believe

that

The freedoms that Mosuo women do have include the ability to vote (in the census), the

ability to own property, and the primary defining characteristic that sets the Mosuo matriarchy

apart from others - the option to have as many partners as she wants. The majority of women

who want to hold onto the established practices are the grandmothers because they know of no

other life outside of the Mosuo tribes. Now about 80 percent of both men and women within the

community leave the small city to lead a mainstream Chinese lifestyle.

The population of women that make up the rest of China, however, do not receive as much

freedom to do as they please as their Mosuo counterparts. China's leading political system is

driven by the Communist Party of China. The majority of its citizens follow a social structure

that is divided into a hierarchy of nine classes. The Head Honchos, The Bigwigs, The

Powerbrokers, The Privileged, The Very Comfortable, The Squeezed, The Marginalized, The

Underclass, and The Destitute. (A Guide to…) Homelife is run by patriarchy, and women face

pressure to be married before they are 30 years old. The patriarchal family system in China is

based on the Three Sub-Ordinations delineated by a famous Chinese philosopher named

Mencius, better known as Mengzi in China during the fourth century B.C.E. Mengzi stated that a
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woman must remain inferior to her father during her adolescence, her husband in adulthood, and

her son in her elderly years. Since these ideals are carried out by mainstream contemporary

China, it still applies to women's lives. A Chinese woman must obey anything her husband,

father, and son may say, and live by the rules they make because everyone lives under the man's

house.

Considering China held a relationship with Greece, a quote from the patriarchy of Athens was

followed by the general Chinese population. "Men are free to roam outside, but the woman must

stay inside," thus beginning the practice of foot-binding, which physically constrained women

from going outside. During the Han dynasty, the first woman historian of China, Ban Zhao,

wrote a book called "Lessons for Women," which advised women on appropriate behavior in the

household. Zhao discussed the Four Virtues that women must follow, - proper virtue, proper

speech, adequate toleration, and the appropriate value. Both the three sub-ordinations and the

four attributes were obeyed by most families during the entire imperial era.

However, Chinese women were not always viewed as lesser beings than men. For example,

throughout the Tang dynasty, women were able to participate in sports. They were allowed more

freedom in fashion and behavior. As the Song dynasty approached, the newest trend was for

wealthy women to have smaller feet. During the Ming dynasty, "honorable widowhood" was

respected, and so even young widows were not forced to remarry. With the establishment of

more patriarchal views in the Zhou dynasty, women received less respect from men of all ages.

("Chinese Patriarchy")

In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, women have been expected to marry before they are

30 years old. If they do not, they are considered "sheng nu," leftover women, which means that

they are too old to be considered marketable to men. The Chinese Communist Party frequently
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urges women to marry. At the same time, they are youthful because of the gender imbalance

caused by the recently terminated one-child policy. (Chen,2016) This policy was enacted due to

the favoritism of males, and there were not enough women to procreate. The course of action

was, in a sense, a way to subdue women from bringing female life to this Earth.

To consider Mosuo women as free would be a lie. Although they have the freedom to have sex

with as many men as they please for their entire lives and are recognized as a higher power, they

still are unable to leave home and start a life elsewhere. Arguing that the common-woman in

modern China is more oppressed than a Mosuo would be, to some extent, the truth. However,

women in both communities are not genuinely liberated because they must follow specific rules

to live by.

References

A guide to social class in modern China. (2015, April 28). ChinaFile. Retrieved May 18, 2020,

from [Link]

china

Chen, H. (2016, April 8). China 'leftover women' ad goes viral. BBC News. Retrieved May 18,

2020, from [Link]

"Chinese Patriarchy." (n.d.): n. pag. [Link]. Retrieved May 18, 2020,.

<[Link]
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HAGIA, A. (n.d.). Akademie HAGIA. Retrieved May 18, 2020, from

[Link]

Detailed Record. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2020, from

[Link]

globe/oclc/818876429&referer=brief_results

(n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2020, from [Link]

(n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2020, from [Link]

(n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2020, from [Link]