User:Morandik/Feminism in China

Women's Education

Liang Qiacho

Liang Qiacho (1873-1929) was a renowned Chinese male feminist thinker, known for his creation of and various publications in two scholarly newspapers as well as his thoughts on women's education. Following the Sino-Japanese war Liang published a series of essays in 1897, one of which was called "On Women's Education." In this essay Liang presents his argument for why Chinese women should be educated, critiquing the whole of the Chinese education system, promoting his nationalist agenda, and calling for a total reconstruction of the education system to include women. Liang believed that the foundation of China's weakness was a lack of women's education as the strength of a nation relies on each individal's ability to support themselves. The absence of women's education does not just impact women, but men as well, according to Liang. He explains that since women are not educated and, therefore, cannot have a career, they are entirely dependent on a man, whether that be father or husband, to provide for them which hinders men from reaching their full potential. Essentially, the absence of women's education means that Chinese women are a burden to Chinese men, further suppressing the accumulated national success. Liang compares the livelihood of women to one of slaves or livestock, being raised by men and solely dependent on men. Women are not naturally inferior to men, but the lack of women's education acts as a mechanism allowing men to be superior over women as women are quite literally prevented from defending or caring for themselves. A lack of education is also damaging to women's character, Liang explains, since they know so little about the world around them women resort to trivial matters, causing them to be ignorant, unkind, and petty. More so Liang states that, since women are uneducated and they are the ones at home with the children, children are also suffering a disservice as a result of China's failure to educate women. In making these points Liang demonstrates that a lack of women's education is not just harmful to women, but to men and children as well. Liang goes as far as to say women's education is a practical step towards the humankind's salvation, making the point that for China to prosper it is vital that women are educated. Men's superiority over women is not natural or biological, but a consequence of women historically and currently being uneducated, Liang says, and women are conditioned to dote on men like slaves. Liang states that women are quite literally slaves as their minds are prohibited from learning, growing or thriving, and references foot-binding in an effort to emphasize that the feet and minds of women are bound. Acknowledging that he is the first man in thousands of years to fight for women's education and argue its' importance, Liang points out that many people would agree that education is the key to national success but not many people would agree that women's education is the key to national success. Education makes men useful and women can be just as useful if allowed the opportunity, Liang stresses, using the example of American and Japanese success. Liang acknowledges that women's equality was fought for in America and equal rights were established in Japan, once again hammering in his point that educating women leads to a more successful nation. Liang also mentions footbinding not just in his point that it exemplifies the enslavement of women, but he says that foot-binding and the pain that it inflicts on China's women further prohibits them from flourishing and contributing to society.

Jin Tianhe

Jin Tianhe (1874-1947) was a male feminist known largely for his published work "The Women's Bell." Published in 1903, "The Women's Bell" discusses a wide range of women's issues, focusing on China. Referring to the Chinese education system as a system of "slave education" Jin explains that China's educational system at the time of his publication is one that lacked any emphasis towards the promotion of self-reliance of self-respect. Jin makes reference to Western education, specifically England, throughout his manifesto, comparing and contrasting the state of Western education to that of China in an effort to demonstrate China's inferiority educationally. Women, in general, are treated like slaves, according to Jin, in that they are enslaved in the household, slaves to social customs, and slaves to men. More over, women are enslaved even further as they are prohibited from receiving an education. While men might be subjected to a "slave education" as a result of a lack of self-reliance or respect that the school system failed to install upon them, at least they are being educated in some capacity, whereas women are deprived from even that. Jin does call out any claim that women are not as capable as men as being incorrect, nonsensical, and repugnant. Jin directly references a Japanese author by the name of "Suzuki Tengan" who argued the differences between men and women, directly disputing any claim of implicit male superiority.European women are educated and are no more capable than Chinese women, which Jin states as another example of why Chinese women should be educated. Jin lists several positions he believes women would be well suited for, like teaching, but states that women should not be limited career-wise. Jin also addresses the idea of coeducation, stating that he believes the sexes should be allowed to befriend one another but expresses worry that Chinese men could not handle being educated in the same place as women. Jin argues for an end to women's oppression through education also stating he believes through education women can be shaped into national models, reformers, and revolutionaries.

The Role of Nationalism in Women's Education

Both Jin Tianhe and Liang Qichao make an argument for women's education, however both do so with the larger goal of China's prosperity in mind. Despite his feminist activism and support of women's education, Liang Qiacho did not argue from a sole perspective of women's rights. While Liang does acknowledge that women are not inherently inferior to men, his primarily reason for supporting female education does not come from a place of women's rights, but of nationalism. Liang's main concern is China's success and he believes educating women is the key to China becoming more successful. Additionally, in his essay "On Women's Education" Liang makes it very clear that he does not feel as though women contribute to society, going as far as to say that women being at home with children has negative affects as they can lead children astray with their uneducated nature. Liang clearly ignores the presence of women in the domestic sphere, removing all value from women's roles as wives, mothers, and homemakers as he states that women have historically not contributed to society. The only way a Chinese woman could be valuable, to Liang, is if she is directly contributing to the economy through a career received after her education, also ignoring women's work in farms and factories. Jin Tianhe also makes it clear that he views education as the driving force behind nationalism so, half of the population not being educated fares poorly towards nationalism. In his list of eight outcomes he expects from women's education all outcomes are ones showing how women will contribute to China's economy and China's overall success as a nation. For both of these feminists, although they both argue that men are not superior to women and Chinese women are more than capable of receiving an education, women's education is a mechanism that will allow for a more successful and prosperous China.