China has very few women in power despite a commitment to gender equality
- US-China Economic and Security Review Commission brief highlights lack of women in the top echelons of Chinese politics and military
- No woman has held a seat in the Politburo Standing Committee, or taken one of the top three party, military or state leadership positions
Women are absent from the top echelons of China’s political and military system despite gender equality being stipulated by law, according to a US government brief.
The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission looked at women’s participation in the Chinese political system in its latest issue brief, released on Wednesday. Based on data it compiled, it found that women are dramatically under-represented in politics even though Beijing has long touted its commitment to equal opportunity.
It comes as Beijing’s political elites are preparing for the twice-a-decade party congress, due to be held in autumn, at which a major leadership reshuffle is expected.
Of China’s 1.4 billion people, 703.8 million – or 48.7 per cent – are women. Some 28 million women have joined the Communist Party, or 30 per cent of the membership.