Introduction
Equality movements are a popular topic in the modern world, and many social classes fight for their rights and freedoms actively. Nevertheless, this trend originated earlier, despite the fact that today, its implications seem more significant. In order to assess the role of individual influences on such a phenomenon as gender equality, the example of the “Iron Girls” of China will be considered. This topic is an acute social issue, and the problems raised by the group stakeholders concern not only labor but also other aspects of women’s lives. The influence of the trend on equality on the example of “Iron Girls” benefits the feminism movement and helps to draw attention to the claims made by its participants.
Peculiarities of the Movement and Its Implications
The image of a strong and independent woman promoted today by feminist communities originated in the second half of the 20th century. According to Evans, in 1968, around the world, women’s rights movements appeared, and their members were disappointed with the inequality that was characteristic of all the sectors of life.1 As the author argues, in the camp of the communist countries, the indignation of women was particularly strong because promises regarding gender equality were not kept.2 In China, this, in turn, led to the creation of the “Iron Girls” movement that was one of the first social programs to support feminist demands. As a result, this community was a well-known both inside the country and outside it due to a non-standard approach to organizing labor activities for women.
Benefits for Women’s Rights
Attempts to create communities supporting women’s rights were made earlier. Buhle, Murphy, and Gerhard mention the New Harmonies movement where participants promoted economic and gender equality, but overall, these efforts did not bring significant benefits.3 As Jin, Manning, and Chu state, this movement coincided with the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, and the issues of labor allocation duties were directly affected, which was a consequence of the measures taken.4 Consequently, the creation of the program benefited the women’s rights movement.
Basis for Further Movements
The Cultural Revolution and the advent of “Iron Girls” led to the rethinking of the concepts of equality. According to Shields and Teute, earlier, historians viewed women as victims of male power.5 Nevertheless, fundamental changes caused a significant expansion of females’ rights, which was the result of many years of continuous struggles. Thus, the community in question had a positive effect on feminist activity outcomes.
The Chinese “Iron Girls” movement has brought benefits to women’s equal rights and become an example for many countries, including those related to the communist camp and others. Promoting an equitable work allocation program helped to eliminate basic biases against females. The provision of jobs and decent wages became the evidence of a progressive policy in relation to gender equality and respect for human rights.
Bibliography
Buhle, Mari Jo, Teresa Murphy, and Jane Gerhard. A Concise Women’s History. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2015.
Evans, Sara M. “Sons, Daughters, and Patriarchy: Gender and the 1968 Generation.” The American Historical Review 114, no. 2 (2009): 331-47.
Jin, Yihong, Kimberley Ens Manning, and Lianyun Chu. “Rethinking the ‘Iron Girls:’ Gender and Labour During the Chinese Cultural Revolution.” Gender & History 18. no. 3 (2006): 613-34.
Shields, David S., and Fredrika J. Teute. “The Republican Court and the Historiography of a Women’s Domain in the Public Sphere.” Journal of the Early Republic 35, no. 2 (2015): 169-83.
Footnotes
- Sara M. Evans, “Sons, Daughters, and Patriarchy: Gender and the 1968 Generation,” The American Historical Review 114, no. 2 (2009): 340.
- Evans, “Sons, Daughters, and Patriarchy,’ 345.
- Mari Jo Buhle, Teresa Murphy, and Jane Gerhard, A Concise Women’s History (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2015), 187.
- Yihong Jin, Kimberley Ens Manning, and Lianyun Chu, “Rethinking the ‘Iron Girls:’ Gender and Labour During the Chinese Cultural Revolution,” Gender & History 18. no. 3 (2006): 616.
- David S. Shields and Fredrika J. Teute, “The Republican Court and the Historiography of a Women’s Domain in the Public Sphere,” Journal of the Early Republic 35, no. 2 (2015): 182.