Singles and especially women dominate China’s consumption – Ashley Dudarenok

Ashley Dudarenok

Decision-makers in China’s consumption are increasingly singles, with women becoming another major force to take into account, says marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok at the state-owned broadcaster CGTN. Mostly women decide on the purchase of a house, at the end of 2021 likely to be 82% of the deciding purchasers.

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A TV show for middle-aged makes feminist waves - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

A Hunan reality TV show Sisters who make waves triggers off a heated debate in China on whether the TV show adds to the feminist debate or not. Author Zhang Lijia collects the arguments pro and con, and in the end concluded that the commercial show is making quite some feminist waves, she writes in the South China Morning Post. 

Zhang Lijia:

It is quite a show, I have to admit, eye-catching and lavishly made. Genre-bending, it presents not only the singing competitions but also the whole process of the performers getting ready, socialising, joking and laughing with each other, interspersed with interviews throughout.

Sadly, despite its “girl power” trappings, the show is not about empowerment but about cheap thrills. Obsessed with beauty, it overemphasises the appearance of the contestants, their shapely bodies, smooth skin, youthful looks and fabulous costumes...

Renowned feminist Zhang Leilei told me that although the show does not qualify as feminist, it does promote the diversity of women and places a spotlight on the talents and capacities of women over 30.

I tend to agree with her: it is a good thing that the show is being screened. Due to restrictions by the authorities, feminist discourse lags behind the rest of the world. This show does not make big waves in this regard, but even a few ripples are better than nothing.

More at the South China Morning Post.

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Not only costs disrupt China's more-children policy - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

Not only high costs are stopping Chinese women from getting more children, as the government wants them to for offsetting the dramatic aging process of the country, writes journalist Zhang Lijia, author of Lotus, a novel, on prostitution in China,  in the South China Morning Post. "The reality is far more complex. One important reason, in my view, is that women have changed. They don’t care to be only the reproductive tool of the family or the state," she writes.

Zhang Lijia:

Why don’t Chinese want more babies? The high cost of raising children is often cited as the main reason. Expensive housing, education and health care make raising children a costly business. 

But the reality is far more complex. One important reason, in my view, is that women have changed. They don’t care to be only the reproductive tool of the family or the state. 

A large percentage of today’s women of childbearing age are from the one-child generation, who have grown up in an affluent society and enjoyed the lavish attention of their parents and grandparents. They tend to be assertive people who dare to pursue their own dreams. Many urban women are well educated and career-minded. 

The story Jojo Zhang, a 36-year-old bank manager in Beijing, narrates is quite typical. Zhang was one of the women who responded to a post I put up on WeChat, looking for women to interview who have given motherhood a miss. 

An only child, she had loving parents and a happy childhood. But she never had a burning desire to have children. About 10 years ago, some of her friends got married and started to have children. 

Few found the experience rewarding. “It just takes too much time and energy,” they advised her. “Don’t bother having children.” She took it to heart.

More in the South China Morning Post

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Luxury brands focus on China’s gamers – Arnold Ma

Arnold Ma

Gamers are increasingly becoming a group of luxury buyers in China, overlapping other segments, says marketing expert Arnold Ma at OZY. "Chinese luxury buyer demographics overlap with hobbies normally associated with a younger audience, such as gaming," Arnold Ma says.

OZY:

McKinsey&Company reports that the luxury market is driven by the post-1980s generation with an average annual spend of $5,900 (RMB 41,000) and consumers born after the 1990s, who spend, on average, $3,600 (RMB 25,000) a year. A separate report by the Boston Consulting Group suggests that 78 percent of China’s luxury consumers are under 35.
In keeping with global trends, women account for a majority — 71 percent — of China’s luxury spending. But they also form 58 percent of the country’s 484 million-strong gaming population. In addition, two-thirds are between 19 and 35 and are generally middle and upper-middle class.
“Chinese luxury buyer demographics overlap with hobbies normally associated with a younger audience, such as gaming,” says Arnold Ma, CEO of digital creative agency Qumin. “A combined social content and gaming strategy for brand campaigns will not only have the most reach, but more importantly provide a far more authentic message to Chinese luxury buyers.”

More at OZY.

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China's divorce spikes, because women want more - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

China's women are no longer satisfied with the marriages they took in the past for granted, says Zhang Lijia, journalist and author of  Lotus: A Novel on prostitution in China, in the South China Morning Post. "Although gradually easing, there’s still stigma attached to divorce," she adds.

Zhang Lijia:

Although gradually easing, there’s still stigma attached to divorce. My mother never told the neighbours about my divorce, which took place almost 14 years ago. “Why should I hang out the dirty laundry?” she would say. For her, divorce was a disgrace for the woman and her family. Luckily, these days, her view has become less common and divorce is more tolerated, especially in cities.

The rising number of divorces has apparently upset the authorities. Obsessed with maintaining stability, they see massive numbers of divorces as a destabilising force and have stepped up efforts at curbing the trend.

In 2016, the Supreme People’s Court instructed judges to balance respecting people’s wishes with defending stable families, which, in their view, is the basis for a harmonious society. Last year, local courts introduced methods such as a cooling-off period, free mediation and even a quiz to deter couples from seeking a divorce.

There’s little surprise that more than half of the filed divorce cases were rejected by courts.

The government shouldn’t have bothered to interfere. Of course, divorce should never be taken lightly, especially when children are involved. Still, restricting wives from getting out of a bad marriage will reduce women’s freedom and agency. In any case, it is a woman’s civil right, which must be respected. Even if divorce is not good for society, are miserable women better for it?

The fact that women are driving divorce in China is in line with the trajectory of a developing country in the middle of rapid modernisation. In developed nations such as US and Britain, more women file for divorce than men. It’s not that terrifying in a modern world, where the types of family have become more diverse.

More at the South China Morning Post.

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How prostitution came on my radar - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

Author Zhang Lijia tells in The Millions how she became interested in prostitution in China, after discovering her grandma was a 'working girl'. It took years to write her bestselling novel Lotus: A Novel.

Zhang Lijia:

I’ve been interested in prostitution ever since a “deathbed revelation” in 1998. As my beloved maternal grandmother lay dying, my mother, an only child, cried her eyes out. She said to me: “You have no idea how much she has suffered: the famine, the Nanjing Massacre, all these political movements, and she was a working girl in the ’30s.” 

A working girl? I had a hard time reconciling the image of a sex worker with my grandma, a devout Buddhist who chanted Amitabha all day long and who raised me. A strikingly beautiful woman, she had high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes. Dimples danced on her cheeks as she talked, always softly. As a traditional woman, she insisted on wearing a Chinese-style cotton jacket with a high mandarin collar, fixed by butterfly buttons. In the morning, she plaited my hair and, in the evening, she cooked for me and the family. 

My mother explained that grandmother had become an orphan as a child and was later sold into a local brothel in Yangzhou, a small town in Eastern China. She worked for 10 years until—while on the job—she met my grandfather, a small-time grain dealer. 

I kept wondering what her life was like inside the brothel. How did she cope? I quizzed my mother about grandma’s former life, but she was unable to enlighten me; she said the brothel was a middle-class establishment set in a traditional courtyard house named Pavilion of Spring Fragrance, its front always lit up by bright red lanterns. My grandma had never liked to talk about herself. 

I keenly read books, both fiction and nonfiction, on prostitution in China. I became fascinated with the subject. In China, the oldest human profession was wiped out after the Communists took power in 1949. Prostitution, in their view, was the vice produced by evil capitalism. In the reform era, however, it has made a spectacular return due to growing wealth, relaxed social control, and a large and mobile population. Although illegal, in every city in this vast country, there’s at least one “red light district” where working girls operate from massage parlors, hair salons, or bathing centers—all of them fronts for brothels.

More in The Millions.

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Modern China faces new feudal attitudes towards women - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia at the BBC

Morality classes are popping up all over the country, teaching past traditional attitudes towards women, warns author Zhang Lijia in an opinion piece in The South China Morning Post who signals a backlash towards banned feudal behavior. The government steps in when those excesses are discovered, but it remains unclear what stays under the radar, Zhang adds.

The South China Morning Post:

Premarital sex is commonplace and prostitution, wiped out by the communists in the 1950s, has returned as a major industry. Sexually transmitted diseases, crime and divorce rates have all rocketed. Some lay the blame on the so-called Western decadent lifestyle. As a result, morality classes targeting women have sprung up across China. In May 2017, for example, during a lecture on traditional culture at Jiujiang University College in southeastern Jiangxi province, senior lecturer Ding Xuan preached on chastity, claiming that “a woman’s best dowry is her virginity”

She also cautioned against casual sex, claiming that the sperm of three men, when mixed together, formed a potent poison that could cause cervical cancer. Later that year, footage was leaked of classes at the Fushun Traditional Culture School in northeastern Liaoning province, where women were taught to scrub floors, bow to their husbands, never seek divorce and never fight back if beaten by their husbands.

In August, a summer camp in Wenzhou, in southeastern Zhejiang province, meant to promote traditional culture and kinship, taught that “men are heaven and women the earth”, adding that women, being inferior, should stay at the bottom. These cases were met with sharp criticism and the authorities shut down the Wenzhou camp. But no one knows just how many more “female virtue” classes are being held throughout China. They tend to pop up in small towns and wear the cloak of promoting traditional culture.

More in the South China Morning Post.

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Women miss equal position in China - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

Tradition and an unequal political system hamper women in their development in China, says author Zhang Lijia at the Addison Gazette. "Women are being left behind in terms of political participation and the salary gap between men and women is becoming wider."

The Addison Gazette:

No woman has ever led the Communist Party of China, and currently there‘s only one woman among the 25 members of its Politburo. 

Author of “Lotus” – a book that talks about prostitution, based on extensive research – Zhang Lijia, said that the CPC was sexist. 

Zhang added that Chinese women are being left behind in terms of political participation and the salary gap between men and women is becoming wider. 

According to the United Nations Development Programme, among the members of the decision making bodies of the Chinese government, only 24.2 per cent are women. 

China must guarantee a minimum quota for women in the National Assembly, which continues to have very few women representatives, Zhang says. 

The CPC, she adds, took a concrete step to improve women‘s lives in the 1950s, when it abolished child marriage and introduced the right to education and work, but after that gender equality has not been prioritised. 

According to Zhang, if China wants to improve the lives of women, it will first need to accord them equal status in society and politics.

More at the Addison Gazette.

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China women lack leverage in both politics and salaries - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

Women in China might be regaining some tracking in the economy, they are still lacking political leverage and earn on average less than men, says author Zhang Lijia at Wion. "According to Zhang, if China wants to improve the lives of women, it will first need to accord them equal status in society and politics."

Wion:

China also has a long way to go as far as representation of women in politics goes. 

No woman has ever led the Communist Party of China, and currently there's only one woman among the 25 members of its Politburo. 

Author of "Lotus" - a book that talks about prostitution, based on extensive research - Zhang Lijia, said that the CPC was sexist. 

Zhang added that Chinese women are being left behind in terms of political participation and the salary gap between men and women is becoming wider. 

According to the United Nations Development Programme, among the members of the decision making bodies of the Chinese government, only 24.2 per cent are women. China must guarantee a minimum quota for women in the National Assembly, which continues to have very few women representatives, Zhang says. 

The CPC, she adds, took a concrete step to improve women's lives in the 1950s, when it abolished child marriage and introduced the right to education and work, but after that gender equality has not been prioritised. 

According to Zhang, if China wants to improve the lives of women, it will first need to accord them equal status in society and politics.

More at Wion.

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The crude reality for women in the China market - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Liijia

London-based author Zhang Lijia, author of Lotus, a novel, on prostitution in China, recalls at Varsity the crude reality women have to face in China's economy, a story many outside China might not see, speaking at Cambridge PEN, about the process of writing her latest book.

Varsity:

“I want to show the crude reality of the Chinese market economy and the resilience of women struggling in the bottom of society,” Zhang adds. 

Like the characters in Lotus, Zhang has experienced what life is like in a rapidly changing China, having spent a decade working at a factory that produced intercontinental missiles. Although Zhang had dreamed of becoming a journalist and writer from a young age, she was taken out of school to work at a factory at the age of sixteen. Whilst working at the factory, Zhang taught herself English. 

“Reading gave me escape and enlightenment, and it gave me a route to escape the tough reality [of the factory] and to broaden my horizons”, she says. 

Upon completing a Master’s degree in Creative and Life Writing in London, Zhang returned to China and her dreams took flight as she began to write. She wrote a memoir about her time at the factory, titled “Socialism is Great!”: A Worker’s Memoir of New China. With Lotus being Zhang’s first fictional novel, she mentions how the transition from fiction to nonfiction writing styles was “extremely challenging”. 

“The freedom to create a fictional world was both exciting and intimidating.” Freedom also takes on another meaning in the context of contemporary China when it comes to censorship. A previous book she wrote in Chinese about the Western image of Chairman Mao was censored, Zhang decided to write in English in order to “freely express” herself. 

This helped Zhang overcome another type of censorship that was not political, but rather “a writer’s own self-censorship”, as she calls it. 

“By writing in English, I gained unexpected literary freedom. By not being inhibited by my mother tongue, I can also be bold as I experiment with the language. I use different words and I structure my sentences differently, consciously and unconsciously. Of course, my experiment doesn’t always work. But I enjoy the adventure.” 

Although having studied English for thirty years, Zhang says she still faces great challenges when writing in English, “I write too slowly, and I don’t understand the subtle meanings of certain words, so in that sense, I still regard myself as being a novice.” 

Throughout her journey, Zhang draws upon many literary inspirations. She cites George Orwell’s four reasons for writing: egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose, as key drivers of her motivation to write. In particular, she remains drawn to Jane Eyre, “a plain-looking character full of spirit and longing”, Zhang comments. In more recent years, she mentions how reading her MA professor Blake Morrison’s memoir And When Did You Last See Your Father shaped the techniques she had used to complete her own memoir. 

Following the success of Lotus, Zhang is now turning her focus back towards non-fiction. She is working on a narrative non-fiction book about the children of migrant workers in China, also known as their ‘left-behind’ children. “There are currently 61 million children living in villages across the country without both or one parent,” she says. The book will focus on a rural community in Southwest China’s Guizhou province, to examine the human cost of China’s economic miracle. As preparation, “I am reading or re-reading outstanding literary non-fiction books on China, such as Wish Lantern by Alec Ash and Factory Girls by Leslie Chang.” 

As for aspiring writers, Zhang’s words of advice is to just “read and write and live your life.” “Just going ahead and writing is the best thing you can do,” she says with a smile.

More at Varsity.

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Chinese women remain on top of rich lists - Rupert Hoogewerf

Rupert Hoogewerf

Chinese female entrepreneurs remain on top of the rich lists, says Hurun chief researcher Rupert Hoogewerf at the publication of the 2018 top 50 “Hurun Women Entrepreneur List” of 2018 at the Pandaily. The gender gap with their male colleagues remains, he adds, with a difference of 30 percent between men and women.

Pandaily:

“China accounts for 60 percent of the world’s most successful female entrepreneurs, while Chinese women make up one-fifth of the world’s female population,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher at Hurun Report. Hoogewerf speculates that the combination of reform and opening-up, as well as entrepreneurships of Chinese women could be the reason. 

The list evaluates the female entrepreneurs’ personal wealth, without the inclusion of family wealth or inheritance. The main sources of wealth of the women on this list are real estate and manufacturing. 

Hoogewerf observes that the origins of wealth tend to be the same for both men and women. ”The big gap is in the IT-industry,” he adds. 

First on the list is the vice-chairwoman of Country Garden Holdings, Yang Huiyan. Yang has topped the list for six consecutive years with a personal wealth of 150 billion yuan ($21.7 billion). The 37 year old’s wealth has shrunk by more than 10 billion yuan compared to last year but she still retains the title of being the richest woman in China. 

Yang is followed by the chairwoman of Longfor Properties, Wu Yajun with a personal wealth of 58.5 billion yuan. Wu held the title of China’s richest woman in 2012 , only to be surpassed by Yang the following year. Third on the list is Chen Li Hua, chairwoman of Fu Wah International Group, with a personal wealth of 50.5 billion yuan. 

The average wealth of the top 50 Chinese entrepreneurs fell by 7.8 percent from last year to 21.3 billion yuan, but this is still four times higher than a decade ago. 

Gender gap exists even among the richest people. “The average wealth of the top 50 women entrepreneurs is 30 percent of the top 50 male entrepreneurs.” Hoogewerf says.

More at the Pandaily.

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Why women are high on China's rich list - Rupert Hoogewerf

Rupert Hoogewerf

Women might be scarce at China's political platforms, but on the China rich list, they are doing very well, says Hurun China Rich List publisher Rupert Hoogewerf tells the China Daily. "China accounts for 60 percent of the world's most successful female entrepreneurs, while Chinese women make up one-fifth of the world's female population," he says.

The China Daily:

With 150 billion yuan ($21.7 billion) in wealth, Yang (Huiyan) tops the list, followed by Wu Yajun (58.5 billion yuan), chairwoman of Longfor Properties and Chen Li Hua (50.5 billion yuan), chairwoman of Fu Wah International Group. 

The list calculates the personal wealth, not the family wealth, of women entrepreneurs. Most of the names on the list are from real estate and manufacturing. 

"China accounts for 60 percent of the world's most successful female entrepreneurs, while Chinese women make up one-fifth of the world's female population," said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher at Hurun Report. "Reform and opening-up, as well as entrepreneurship of Chinese women, can be the reason behind this story," he added.

More at the China Daily.

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China: best breeding ground for female entrepreneurs - Ashley Dudarenok

Ashley Dudarenok

China entrepreneur Ashley Dudarenok looks back for Ted-X at role models in communist Russia that shaped her worldview. China is the best breeding ground for female entrepreneurs, she argues.

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Women benefited less than men from China's progress - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

China's economy went uphill dramatically over the past decades, but women profited less than men, writes author Zhang Lijia of Lotus: A Novel, on prostitution in China. It is time the government starts to enforce its own laws and regulations on gender discrimination, she tells in the South China Morning Post. 

South China Morning Post:

Gender discrimination is deeply ingrained in Chinese society, which, for centuries, was dominated by Confucianism which places women as inferior to men. Today, some of traditional attitudes and practices that had been repressed by Mao have resurfaced. 

Some companies set much higher recruiting standards for women, while others refuse to hire women of childbearing age, a practice that has worsened after the end of the one-child policy. Employers view women without children as employees who will potentially take maternity leave twice. 

 In theory, China has enough laws and regulations to protect the rights of female employees. But the lack of a specific enforcement mechanism often leaves victims in a vulnerable position. Besides, given the intense competition for jobs, employers have the luxury of being choosy. The authorities rarely pursue those who violate the rules and employers can usually get away with a few extra discriminatory requirements. 

But not always. In 2012, a young woman applied for an executive assistant position with a tutorial centre but was rejected on the grounds that the job was reserved for men only. She filed China’s first gender discrimination lawsuit and won a small settlement. 

 A year later, another graduate woman won a similar case. When I interviewed her, I was encouraged by her fighting spirit. Other successful lawsuits followed, but the compensation usually amounted to around US$300. 

These cases were part of the feminist activism that has emerged since 2012, when three women paraded the streets in bloodstained wedding gowns to protest against domestic violence. Others followed suit, queuing up in a public toilet to highlight the shortage of female toilets, and shaving their heads in protest against different university admission standards for women. 

Some activists set up a Weibo account to monitor and report violations. Some of their complaints were addressed. 

Sadly, the authorities’ crackdown on activism has hampered these efforts. The growth of gender discrimination in employment has been challenged but it may spread wider in the near future.

More in the South China Morning Post.

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How learning English liberated me - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

Journalist Zhang Lijia, author of Lotus: A Novel on prostitution in China, explains how learning English learned her how to free herself from the constraints of the past when she worked at a factory worker in Nanjing.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request list.

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China dominates the woman self-made billionaires - Rupert Hoogewerf

Rupert Hoogewerf

Chinese women dominate the Hurun global self-made woman rich list, says Hurun founder Rupert Hoogewerf. The list is released on today's Women's Day, and has Zhou Qunfei of the Lens Technology firm as the topper, says the BBC.

The BBC:

China has once again dominated a list of global self-made woman billionaires. 

The top four women in the report by publisher Hurun - and five of the top 10 - come from the Asian superpower. 

Zhou Qunfei, who founded a firm that makes glass used to cover laptops and smartphones, was the world's richest self-made woman, with $9.8bn (£7.1bn). 

Her company Lens Technology has contracts with some of the biggest technology firms, and counts Apple and Samsung as its main customers... 

In total, 28 of the top 50 on the Hurun self-made list are from China. 

Ms Zhou took the top spot from Beijing-based real estate developer Chen Lihua ($8.1bn). 

Ms Chen, who runs Fu Wah International, slipped to third after her wealth barely changed since 2017. 

Another property developer, Wu Yajun from the western city of Chongqing, moved into second place. She is worth $9.3bn after a staggering 83% leap in her fortune in just 12 months. 

The richest self-made woman from outside China is American Diane Hendricks, the co-founder of Wisconsin-based ABC Supply, one of the US's largest distributors of roofing and windows.

More at the BBC.

Rupert Hoogewerf  is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request list.

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A booming "she economy" - Ben Cavender

Ben Cavender

Milleniums, especially women, are key for consumer spendings, says retail analyst Ben Cavender at Reuters on Women's Day. Companies went all out to attract the female buyers, he says.

Reuters:

The women-targeted market, or the so-called “she economy”, a term coined by China’s education ministry in 2007, is expected to account for $700 billion by 2019, according to the Chinese securities firm Guotai Junan. 

“If you look at how companies are thinking about their ad spending, how they think about product selection, probably they are thinking, 70 to 75 percent of our spending really needs to be targeted directly at women,” said Ben Cavender, Shanghai-based principal at China Market Research Group. 

Women spent 64 percent more in 2017 than in 2015, with a majority of purchases made in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, according to a report by Alibaba, which controls the largest share of retail e-commerce sales in China.

Purchases were more than cosmetics and shoes. 

The number of women who bought running outfits rose over 13 times in the last 12 months, while spending on boxing gloves by women soared 75 percent, according to a separate Alibaba report.

More at Reuters.

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The pros and cons of China's market economy for women - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

China's market economy has brought pros and cons to the women, says author Zhang Lijia of the bestseller Lotus: A Novel, on prostitution in China, to the BBC.“I think women have shouldered most of the cost and burden during the transition from a planned economy to the market economy,” she says. She is currently working on a book on the left-behind children in China.

The BBC:

One critic of the reforms, social commentator and author Zhang Lijia, says that China’s shift from a planned economy to a market economy model has brought changes and opportunities for both men and women – particularly urban and educated women. But it has also brought setbacks, including job losses. 

“I think women have shouldered most of the cost and burden during the transition from a planned economy to the market economy,” she says. “For example, [in] ailing state-owned enterprises, women are always [the] first to be let off.” 

Zhang has personal experience of the changes that she wrote about it in her book, Socialism is Great. Growing up in Nanjing, the capital of China’s eastern Jiangsu province, she started working at a missile factory at the age of 16. The village she lived in served as a residential area for a local machinery factory, which was run by the Ministry of Aerospace Industry. 

“They had a rule that women [of] about 45 years old were let off from my worker unit,” she says, suggesting that this was a blanket rule in place at the factory. 

She thinks the shift to the market economy has allowed more businesses to get away with unscrupulous practices towards female workers in China. “Before, there was this kind of Maoist-style gender equality. Now it’s being replaced by open sexism,” she says. 

Zhang goes on to say that “it’s just so much harder to get jobs because they make extra demands… some companies will refuse to hire women of child-bearing age. And sometimes if a woman gets pregnant, they will sack them. Sometimes they will force women to write that ‘in the next ten years I promise I will not have children.’” 

Recent figures show that women in China’s cities now earn 67.3% of what men make. Meanwhile, for women in the countryside, it’s even less at 56%.

More at the BBC.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more experts on political change at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.
 

Why the sex industry boomed in China - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

Author Zhang Lijia of Lotus: A Novel, a book on prostitution in China, divided into the current sex industry and explains to Brave Media why it boomed. Earnings can be ten times as high compared to a factory job, she says.

Brave Media:

What kinds of women did you encounter through your research? Had most of them moved from villages into urban areas in search of work, like the protagonist in your novel, Lotus? 

They are usually migrant workers, from the countryside; something has gone wrong in their life, they are uneducated, unskillful, and of course there’s the temptation of money. In the vast majority of cases, women enter the trade of their own accord, but often driven by desperate poverty or something gone wrong: domestic violence, dumped by the husband, or falling pregnant as a single mother… 

How much more does prostitution pay in comparison to, say, a factory job? 

It’s huge. It could be ten times more. 

The sex industry has developed rapidly in China in recent years. Why is that? 

For many reasons. First, the growing wealth. We have a saying in Chinese: ‘once you have clothes to wear and your stomach is full, you start to think about sex.’ Of course in China for a long time people didn’t have enough to eat. 

And also relaxed social control: before, if you had a mistress or an extra marital affair, you probably ended up in a labour camp. China for a long time was sexually repressed. Now there’s freedom. I think some of the old attitudes towards women, which had been suppressed by Mao, have made a comeback. STDs are growing fastest among older men of above 55 or 60… They’ve probably now got some money, and felt they’ve missed out on something, and they are not switched on to how to protect themselves. They belong to the generation that believes that a decent woman shouldn’t have an interest in sex. 

Also, prostitution has become part of the business deal. For example I have a friend who is from Nanjing; he has a cushy job and his company does high end products, green energy, high tech stuff. According to regulations, such a company enjoys 15% of a tax deduction. But in order to get that, they have to invite tax bureau officials wining and dining. But these days wining and dining is not enough… Prostitution has become the lubricant of business. It’s very common. 

But the fundamental reason is the growing income gap between men and women. Many of my friends find it hard to believe, because within their circle they meet many very capable, high achieving young women. Sure. The reform brought lots of opportunities to both men and women, especially educated urban women. But overall China has shifted from a planned economy to the market economy, and women have shouldered too much of the burden in cost. 

When a company has to let off workers, women are always the first to go, and it’s so much harder for them to find jobs. Female graduates – before, they were allocated jobs. Women of child-bearing age are often refused. And sometimes when women get pregnant, they sack them. Sometimes they force them to write, ‘I promise I will not get pregnant,’ otherwise they will not get hired. UN Women did a research: women in the city earn 67.3% of what men make, and in the countryside only 56%. That has driven some of the most vulnerable women to take up prostitution.

More in Brave Media.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more experts on cultural change at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.  

Market economy eroded gender equality - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

Women have been bearing most of the burden of China's shift from state economy to market economy, says author Zhang Lijia of Lotus: A Novel, on prostitution in China, at the BBC World Service. Despite a lot of advantages, women suffered severe setbacks. State owned companies let women go at 45 years of age, and getting hired at the sexist job market has been harder than ever, she adds. "Some refuse to hire women at a child-bearing age."

You can hear the audio here.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau, Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you interested in more stories by Zhang Lijia? Do check out this list.