COMMENTARY
The successes of Chinese business-
Mind the gap T
women should be celebrated, but gender imbalances still exist
he perceived power of Chinese business- women attracts much media attention. Half of the world’s 14 self-made female
billionaires are Chinese, according to the 2010 Forbes rich list. Tese include Wu Yajun, chief executive of Longfor Properties, Tibetan medi- cine entrepreneur Lei Jufang, and Yan Cheung, a paper recycling tycoon. Tis oft-cited statistic is as misleading as
it is impressive. While these women should be applauded, their success has come in spite of considerable obstacles. Te playing field is not level and gender imbalances are still rife in the workplace. Te average monthly salary of a fe- male holding a graduate degree, for example, is US$554 compared to US$678 for men. Te New York-based Center for Work-Life
Policy (CWLP) argued in a report published in March that China should turn to its pool of highly-qualified women to solve its talent crunch. About 40% of employers in China have difficulties finding the right talent to fill open- ings, according to a 2010 survey by Manpower, a human resources firm. Maximizing the potential of female profes-
sionals could be the answer: While just over one-third of all college-educated women in the US describe themselves as “very ambitious,” the CWLP survey found that in China this figure is closer to two-thirds. Furthermore, 76% of Chinese women aim to
hold top corporate jobs, compared to just 52% of American women. With females accounting for nearly 40% of the student population at top- ranked MBA programs in China, these women appear to be seizing the initiative. Explanations of this phenomenon are plenti-
ful: the country’s one-child policy has encouraged families to focus their attention and resources on their only offspring, regardless of gender; Com- munism has helped foster an attitude that wom- en can do whatever men can do; and working mothers receive childcare support, either from family members or nannies whose salaries fall within the purchasing power of many couples. However, for every report that champions the
CHINABYNUMBERS
The percentage of male managers who prefer to promote male staff
76 4 China Economic Review • May 2011 24
The number of MNCs that announced plans to move their re- gional headquarters to Shanghai in 2010
The amount that billionaire Chen Guangbiao donated to Japan’s earthquake victims
$158,820
UP THE LADDER: Last year’s film Go, Lala, Go! showcased the country’s ambitious young female urbanites
rise of Chinese businesswomen, there is another that highlights gender inequality in a country where tradition still dictates that it is a woman’s “duty from heaven” to take care of her family. According to a 2009 study of 3,000 women
by the Center for Women’s Law and Legal Ser- vices of Peking University, more than one-third of respondents believe that male employees are promoted more often than women. About 28% of respondents said employers set different crite- ria in recruitment and women have to outshine their male peers in interviews to get the same job. Once a woman enters the workforce, things
may not get much easier. A quarter of the wom- en surveyed by Peking University said they were forced to sign labor contracts containing clauses that forbid them from marrying or getting preg- nant in a set period of time. More than 20% said employers cut the salaries of women who be- come pregnant and gave birth. Tis is in spite of China’s laws which dictate that women may take maternity leave for at least 90 days. Te ambition of Chinese females and success
stories should certainly be used to inspire young- er generations. But the country’s corporations and policymakers shouldn’t kid themselves that gender is no longer an issue in the workplace.
53
The number of billion- aires in China in 2011
The percentage of com- panies that are hiring new staff and focusing on front line roles
115
Imaginechina
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