Episode Description: Gender Inequality in Rural China

In this episode, the hosts delve into the pressing issue of gender inequality in rural China, with a specific focus on the rights of women who marry outside their villages. They shed light on the following key points:

Loss of Rights for Women

Women who marry outside their villages in China are facing the loss of their rights to land that legally belongs to them. Shockingly, men who marry outside their villages do not encounter the same loss of rights. This disparity is deeply rooted in patriarchal values and goes against Chinese law, which guarantees gender equality.

Exclusion from Financial Benefits

The issue becomes particularly significant in villages where land has become valuable. As a result, women are being excluded from the financial benefits that come with land ownership. This exclusion perpetuates the cycle of gender inequality and hampers the economic empowerment of women.

Legal Challenges and Resistance

Many women have taken the courageous step of filing lawsuits to challenge this discriminatory practice. However, they face resistance from their communities and local officials who prioritize maintaining stability and avoiding trouble over enforcing gender equality. This clash between different levels of the law creates further obstacles for women seeking justice.

Fighting for Rights

Despite the challenges, women like Miss Su, who was interviewed in this episode, continue to fight for their rights. Motivated by the desire for equal treatment and a better future for their children, they persist in their pursuit of justice and gender equality.

Changing Social Norms

The hosts emphasize the importance of changing social norms and public perceptions to address gender inequality in China, both in rural and urban areas. By challenging patriarchal values and promoting gender equality, society can take significant steps towards creating a more just and equitable future for all.

Tune in to this thought-provoking episode as the hosts shed light on the issue of gender inequality in rural China and explore the efforts being made to combat this pervasive problem.

A harsh custom courses through rural China. If a woman marries a man from outside her village, she becomes a waijianü, or “married-out daughter". Tradition deems married-out women can be stripped of their rights to land that legally belongs to them.

The Communist Party came to power promising to emancipate women from feudalism. Today, the collective financial losses suffered by married-out women are growing. 

The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, David Rennie, and senior China correspondent, Alice Su, meet the married-out women in rural Fujian fighting to get their land back. 

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