Do Women Really Hold Up Half the Sky?

Last week Barnard College hosted the Kang Tongbi Commemorative Symposium: Women Changing China at the Park Hyatt, a pretty swanky hotel in the Chaoyang district. The symposium brought together leaders in business, government, media, arts and academia following in Kang's footsteps. This group includes Yan Geling, Yang Lan, Ruby Yang and Professor Wu Qing, who was the most passionate speaker by far. I recognized Yan Geling's name since she wrote the book upon which the film Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl was based. The other names were new to me.

I've been told that sexism is a serious crime in this country. However, one notices social conventions that prove it's alive and well even linguistically. For example, when listing people in Mandarin (i.e. My family has 4 people: my ...., my...), you list the men first before listing women (i.e. My family has 4 people: my father, my mother...). Listing a woman first is "not the Chinese way," so I've been corrected.

While the tone of most of the speakers was generally "yay, we've come so far, isn't this great? let's work harder to further the position of women here," Professor Wu was one of the few who didn't perpetuate this message. Some of the statements that linger in my mind a week later:

Wu Qing:
"Some people are more equal than others. This is a bad thing."
"China has the highest suicide rate for rural women in the world."
"This is what we lack in China--social responsibiltiy. We need to be global citizens."
"In government, you see fewer and fewer women higher and higher."
"I'm a verb. An active verb." (I love this statement!)

Yang Lan:
"More women start their businesses out of passion and hobby than men."
"More women are willing to give back to society than men."

Audience member:
"Yes, women hold up half of the sky, but men hold up the other half, too. I think that men are the problem in China." (this statement caused a bit of a stir)

I don't know enough about sexism here to comment in a meaningful way. Give me time. This symposium has made my eyes open wide.