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Anna, Erin, Sherry, Harry

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Ciara, Shark, Kitty, Yudan

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1. Perspectives about street cats. (perspectives)

2. Reasons for cats to become strays and their impact on society. (causation)

3. Ways people can manage street cats. (responsibility)

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Street cat welfare is dependant on humans.

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1. How do different cultures and societies view street cats, and what roles do they play in superstitions, and traditions?

2. How do street cats affect other animals and the environment?

3. What are the most effective methods for promoting spaying and neutering of street cats to prevent overbreeding?

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Jasmine, Wendy, Elena

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Zoe, Kyle, Cici, Alex

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Audrey, Max, Kevin

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Damon, Richard, Eric, Hubert

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1. How gender equality in education has changed over time. (change)

2. How gender inequaltiy affects people's lives in China. (causation)

3. The importance of informing people about gender equality in education. (responsibility)

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Gender Inequality in the work place has consequences that affect people.

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Gender equality in education affects people’s lives over time.

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1. How gender equality has changed over time. (change)

2. Causes of gender inequality in economic opportunties. (causation)

3. People's responsibilities to stop gender inequalities. (responsibility)

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People have a responsibility to protect polar bear’s habitat.

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Violence against children can affect their emotional, mental, physical, and social well-being.

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1. How have rules about fairness in school changed over the years and what did it do for boys and girls in school?

2. How do different things like where you live or how much money you have affect how fair school is for girls and boys in China?

3. What are the important things people and groups need to think about and do to make school fair for everyone, and how can they make sure they do them?

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People are responsible to stop the harmful effects of rising sea-levels on coastal cities.

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1. How habitat loss affects polar bears. (function)

2. How human actions affect the habitats of polar bears. (causation)

3. How habitat loss can be reduced. (responsibility)

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1. Effects of physical and emotional abuse on children. (causation)

2. Different perspectives about physical and emotional abuse of children. (perspectives)

3. People's responsibility to eliminate physical and emotional abuse of children. (responsibility)

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1. Rising sea levels and the impacts on coastal cities. (form)

2. The causes of rising sea levels. (causation)

3. Individuals' responsibility to help stop the impacts of rising sea levels on coastal cities. (responsibility)

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1. How does habitat loss affect reproduction rates of polar bear cubs, if they live, and how many polar bears there are?

2. How does climate change caused by human activities, make life harder for polar bears and their habitat?

3. What do people who live near polar bears do to conserve polar bears' habitat?

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1. How does emotional abuse impact children's mental health and well-being, including issues like anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem?

2. How do professionals in fields such as psychology, social work, law enforcement, and education view the causes, effects, and interventions related to childhood abuse?

3. What changes do we need to make to stop bad things happening to kids and how can we create a safer and more supportive environment for all children?

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1. How have changes in laws influenced gender equality in areas such as education, employment, and political representation over time?

2. What are the primary factors that contribute to gender inequalities in jobs, wages, and career advancement opportunities?

3. What duties do individuals, communities, governments, and organizations have to advocate for gender equality and fight discrimination based on gender?

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1. How does rising sea levels affect the clean water we can drink near the coast?

2. How do human activities, like burning fossil fuels and deforestation, contribute to climate change which then causes the rising of sea levels?

3. What can groups of people in a community do together to make the coast stronger and better able to handle the rising sea levels?

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Due Tuesday morning:

1. My Awesome team

2. Timeline

Due Wednesday morning:

1.     Mentor meeting – prepare the table/complete if you have already had your meeting

2.     Compass points

Due Friday morning:

1.     Persuasive Techniques poster – by 8:30 am

2.     Reflection – by the end of the day

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Here is a vocabulary list to help you with your pypx research. Ms. Kirsty

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Due Tuesday morning:

1. Timeline - Goal section

2. Mentor meeting – prepare the table/complete if you have already had your meeting

Due Wednesday morning:

1. Sorting out

2. Penny for your thoughts

Due Thursday morning:

1. Draft

2. Presentation

Due Friday morning:

1. Reflection

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Just a few ideas Ms. Nicole and I thought would help ignite your CREATIVITY. Remember to work as a TEAM to create something that is captivating for not only your audience but also for you!

We believe you can do this!!!!

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This library is a database to find research data, facts, videos, pictures, and information about all of the UN SDGs.

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The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. Goals from the United Nations for the world in 2030

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SDGs divided by groups: Economy, Society, Environment. We focused on only environmental SDGs for Unit 4, but for PYPX, you may choose any SDG you find interesting.

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Teo 2A: teodorav@suis.com.cn

Benny 2A: bennyx@suis.com.cn

Possible meeting times: Monday period 3, Tuesday period 2

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Read the section titled: Economic Opportunities for Women in China

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Rapid modernization has enabled China to provide its citizens with improved living standards and increased economic opportunities. Yet this process has yielded uneven gains between men and women. Pronounced wage gaps and imbalanced political representation are just two of the many issues hindering gender equality in China. Working to address these inadequacies is essential for China as it continues its socio-economic development.

China's constitution guarantees women "equal rights with men in all spheres of life," and over the last several decades, women in China have enjoyed some notable gains. Life expectancy and literacy rates, for instance, have risen as China's economy has developed. This progress, however, has been outpaced by the rest of the world. China's ranking in the index fell sharply from 63 rd out of 115 countries in 2006 to 103 rd out of 149 countries in 2018.

Chinese Women's Health Prospects

Access to healthcare and positive health outcomes are key measures of gender equality. Similar to other developing countries, as China has grown richer its citizens have enjoyed a higher life expectancy. Chinese women born in 2016 can expect to live 77.8 years, an increase of 4.2 years from 2000 and 9.5 years from 1980. While female life expectancy in China has surpassed the global average since 1970, it still falls short of high-income neighbors like Japan (87.1 years) and South Korea (85.2 years).

Improvements in health outcomes have primarily been driven by government initiatives. Soon after taking power in 1949, the Communist Party created a state-driven health service that was offered at little to no cost for its citizens. These services were transformed into a market-based healthcare system in the 1980s. In 2009, President Hu Jintao initiated comprehensive healthcare reforms to enable "everyone to enjoy basic healthcare services." This effort has largely succeeded, which is all the more impressive given China's massive population. As of 2012, 95 percent of Chinese citizens receive a modest level of healthcare coverage.

Beijing has also instituted programs specifically designed for women. These include the National Program for Women's Development 2001-2010 and the subsequent National Program for Women's Development 2011-2020 - both of which increased access to preventive screenings, standard reproductive healthcare services, and health and nutritional education. Such measures have delivered tangible gains. A survey issued by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that in 2013 the number of women undergoing screenings for general diseases rose to 68.7 percent, a 7.5 percentage increase from 2010.

Other health indicators, such as the maternal mortality rate, also reflect positive change. According to the World Bank, China has dramatically lowered its maternal mortality ratio from 97 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to only 27 deaths in 2015. This ratio surpasses those found in other large developing economies like Brazil (44:100,000) and India (174:100,000). OECD countries average 14 deaths per 100,000 live births, with Finland's ratio of 3:100,000 leading the way.

China's sex ratio at birth is the most imbalanced in the world, with only 87 girls born per 100 boys.

China has also taken strides to improve postnatal care. A law introduced by the State Council in 2012 increased paid maternity leave to 14 weeks, and in some provinces, an entire year. I n 2016, China further maternity leave by an additional one to three months (depending on province). The length of maternity leave in China is now comparable to the paid leave offered by many wealthy European countries, and it is a significant improvement over the US, which has no federally mandated leave.

While China has achieved a higher life expectancy and better health outcomes for women, it still suffers from an imbalanced sex ratio at birth. The lingering effects of the One-Child Policy and the longstanding cultural "son bias" have contributed to a female-to-male ratio of 87:100 at birth, ranking China last out of 149 countries surveyed by the WEF.

The sex ratio at birth is even more pronounced in rural areas. China's 2010 census revealed that in Anhui, for instance, the ratio was less than 80 females to 100 males. However, this ratio may not fully capture China's sex ratio, as some women who were hidden from authorities at birth have been added to official records as they age and require social services, healthcare, and education.

China now faces the challenge of a rising population of young unmarried men. The number of single men is expected to grow to 30 million in 2020. This imbalance has been associated with negative socio-economic consequences, including a declining labor force and an increase in human trafficking. Over time, however, China's sex ratio is expected to level out. According to the United Nations, China's sex ratio is projected to reach 106 males per 100 females by 2050.

Chinese Women's Access to Education

Across the globe, women face significant educational disadvantages. Women often receive less schooling than men, which limits their economic prospects and has been linked with higher rates of early pregnancy.

China has made a concerted effort to boost access to education for its entire population. The 1986 Nine-Year Compulsory Education Law and the 1995 Education Law of the People's Republic of China established equal access to enrollment, degrees, and study abroad programs. These measures have contributed to a rise in the literacy rate of women from 86.5 percent in 2000 to 92.7 percent in 2017. While noteworthy, this still places China in the lower half of global rankings, well behind highly developed economies where literacy is over 99 percent.

Over time, China's compulsory education laws are likely to further improve literacy rates. The mean years of schooling for women in China grew from 4.8 years in 1990 to 7.6 in 2017, and primary school enrollment is nearly universal. The vast majority of young Chinese women (95.9 percent) move on to secondary schools. These levels of enrollment are much higher than their respective global averages - 88.3 percent for primary education and 75.9 percent for secondary education.

Since 2008, Chinese women have been more likely than men to continue onto tertiary and postgraduate education. According to the Ministry of Education, women constituted 52.5 percent of undergraduate students in China's colleges and universities in 2017. The WEF ranks China as number 1 in gender balance for tertiary education.

At China's top universities, gender ratios still skew toward men. In 2018, the female-to-male ratio at Peking University was 48 to 52, while the ratio at Tsinghua University was lower at 34 to 66. In contrast, female students are more likely to study abroad than their male peers. In 2014, women accounted for 51 percent of Chinese students studying in the US and 63 percent of those in the UK.

China's urban-rural disparities further affect equal access to education. A 2016 report by the China Social Welfare Foundation found that while 96.1 percent of rural girls had enrolled in primary education, only 79.3 percent moved on to secondary levels. Some note that this drop is due to lower parental expectations and fewer employment opportunities for rural women.

Beijing is working to reduce the gap between rural and urban girls. In Sichuan province, for instance, efforts to elevate the quality of education include providing libraries, multimedia classrooms, and improved school infrastructure to rural elementary schools. Multimedia classrooms have also been utilized in the Ningxia and Gansu provinces, where schools have introduced livestreamed lessons to allow resource-sharing between urban and rural students.

Economic Opportunities for Women in China

China's economic growth has improved overall prosperity, but Chinese women have benefited less from these gains. Throughout the 1980s, female participation in the labor force was high, averaging around 80 percent. By 2018, however, female workforce participation had dropped to 68.6 percent, only slightly higher than the US (66.1 percent) and roughly equal to Japan (68.7 percent). This decreasing trend runs contrary to other major developing countries, like Brazil and South Africa, which witnessed increased female participation over the same period.

According to Human Rights Watch, 19 percent of the Chinese national civic service jobs posted in 2018 included requirements such as "men only," "men preferred," or "suitable for men."

The reasons for this sharp decline are multifaceted, but China's changing social structure and economic modernization are commonly cited as primary factors. For instance, the restructuring of China's state-owned enterprises in the 1990s had particularly negative consequences for women. Although aimed at boosting productivity and efficiency, the privatization process precipitated layoffs of low-skilled, and often female, workers.

China's development has also disproportionately benefited men. The income gap between urban male and female workers increased from 15 percent in 1990 to 25 percent in 2000. This disparity has persisted over the last two decades. A 2018 poll reported that Chinese women on average earn 22 percent less than their male coworkers.

Given these factors, the WEF unsurprisingly ranks China 74 th globally in wage equality, behind the US at 8 th and the UK at 64 th. South Korea, which has a GNI per capita more than twice that of China, is riddled with even greater wage inequality than China. Ranked in the bottom fifth globally in terms of wage equality, South Korean women earned a shocking $26,725 per capita less than men in 2017. In the same year, Chinese women suffered a wage discrepancy of roughly $6,000.

Learn More "Is China Ready for Intelligent Automation?"

Other factors are also at work. Around 50 percen t of Chinese women work in secretarial, sales, and accounting positions, which typically pay less than the sales, technology, and manufacturing positions that employ 58 percent of Chinese men. The coming wave of intelligent automation may further divide the labor force. The reported in late 2018 that there is a considerable risk that growing demand for AI skills could "perpetuate - and even widen - the sort of gender and equity gaps that often impact the technology sector."

The noticeable lack of women in managerial positions further exacerbates this issue. According to the WEF, only 17 percent of senior managers, officials, and legislators in China are women. These factors are not unique to China, as only 29 percent of managerial positions in Germany are held by women. In Japan, it is a meager 13 percent.

Gender Inequality in China: A Conversation with Leta Hong Fincher

Additional roadblocks perpetuate these inequalities. For instance, the official retirement age for Chinese women is at least five years earlier than men, which reduces their potential earnings. Discrimination extends to the hiring process as well. According to Human Rights Watch, 19 percent of the Chinese national civic service jobs posted in 2018 included requirements such as "men only," "men preferred," or "suitable for men."

Entrepreneurship stands as one area where Chinese women take a leading role. A 2017 WEF report noted that women set up 55 percent of new internet companies in China, and more than a quarter of all the entrepreneurs in the country were women. The 2018 Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs also ranks China out of more than 60 countries surveyed, just behind countries like Germany (23 rd) and France (24 th).

Women's Political Participation in China

Women continue to face barriers in terms of political empowerment around the world. According to the World Bank, only 23.9 percent of parliamentary seats are held by women globally. Women in China face comparably low levels of representation. The WEF ranks China 78 th in terms of the political involvement of women, below similarly populous India (19 th), but ahead of the US (98 th). Iceland, with 38.1 percent of seats in its parliament occupied by women, ranks first globally.

Since 1949, China has had only six female members on the 25-member Politburo.

While the government officially supports gender equality, large disparities in political representation remain. In 2017, female membership in the CCP was roughly one quarter of total party membership. Similarly, only 24.9 percent of representatives in the 13 th session of the National People's Congress hosted in 2018 were women. No woman has ever sat on China's Politburo Standing Committee, nor has any woman ever held the presidency. Since 1949, China has had only six female members on the 25-member Politburo.

Beijing has introduced some measures to encourage greater political participation among women. With assistance from the United Nations, the All-China Women's Federation supported training programs on leadership and political participation for rural women from 2011 to 2015.

Such efforts may fall short in facilitating women's political participation. China's 2018 ranking in the WEF's Global Gender Gap report has fallen 26 places since 2006, placing it at 78 th out of 149 countries. Three of the G-7 countries - the US, Japan, and Germany - witnessed a similar decline. In contrast, some countries rose in the rankings, such as Chile, which jumped from 56 th place in 2006 to 31 st in 2018.

Chinese women have become more active in asserting their rights through protest, but outlets for activism are increasingly difficult to find. China's recent participation in the 'Me Too' movement, in which Chinese women campaigned against sexual abuses and exploitation in universities and workplaces, was met with swift censorship. The movement's hashtag on China's popular microblogging website, Weibo, was removed by censors shortly after it gained traction online.

Previous instances of activism also faced pushback from the government. The Feminist Five, a group of five Chinese women famous for their social activism, were arrested in 2015 over plans to protest sexual harassment in subways. They are still labeled " criminal suspects" despite their release from prison.

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Do Women in China Face Greater Inequality than Women Elsewhere? | ChinaPower Project

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Rapid modernization has enabled China to provide its citizens with improved living standards and increased economic opportunities. Yet this process has yielded uneven gains between men and women. Working to address these inadequacies is essential for China as it continues its socio-economic development.

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Here is a link to a site that will give your information on your topic.

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habitat loss polar bears - Kiddle - visual search engine for kids

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habitat loss polar bears - Kiddle - visual search engine for kids

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Here is an interesting article

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Welcome to China’s Cat Island, where lucky strays wait for a new home

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Ginger cats, tabby cats, cow cats, calico cats — the Shanghai streets are home to them all. Now animal advocates are getting creative to curb feral populations.

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Another interesting article for your topic

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SHANGHAI - For Zhang, feeding the stray cats outside her apartment block has become a high-stakes stealth activity.

Usually, she waits until after dark before sneaking out to lay down some kibble. If she has to go during the day, she first puts on a hat, face mask, and sunglasses to conceal her identity.

Around 60 felines have taken up residence in Zhang's housing complex - a large, modern development in eastern Shanghai - and their presence has split the neighborhood's roughly 1,000 households into two polarized factions.

The cat lovers are determined to care for the animals. They've assembled a huddle of small shelters and leave out piles of cat food each day. But they face bitter opposition from the community's anti-cat residents, who complain about loud midnight yowling and occasional attacks on pet dogs.

Relations between the groups are tense. On one occasion, the cat haters demolished the shelters during the night, forcing the cat lovers to rebuild them in a discreet spot behind some shrubs. Those bold enough to lay out kibble in broad daylight risk verbal abuse from passing locals.

Zhang, a former teacher in her 50s, feels stuck in the middle. She's so concerned about her neighbors discovering her pro-cat sympathies, she refuses to reveal her full name to Sixth Tone.

"Every time I install a cat house or put out food in the compound, I ... fear some residents will object and confront me and my family," she says.

Zhang isn't alone. Similar disputes have erupted across Shanghai over recent years as the city's felines have multiplied. Local conflicts have become so common, the authorities have been forced to step in - launching new cat-management regulations, a citywide stray surveillance app, and local neutering schemes.

Cats are everywhere in Shanghai. Nearly every public park and apartment complex has its own resident pack of strays, lovingly pampered by local residents like Zhang. Many spend hundreds of yuan per month on cat food alone.

But little has been done to manage the city's street cats, and the result has been a rapidly growing population. Local authorities estimate there could be as many as 3 million stray cats in Shanghai - around 20 for each residential community in the city.

Many Shanghainese resent these extra guests - and the kindhearted residents who care for them. Zhou Yun, a middle-aged cat lover who lives in another apartment complex in eastern Shanghai, tells Sixth Tone she has frequently been the target of her neighbors' ire.

Noise and scratching are common issues, as are dead strays appearing in the parking lot. Most of all, people complain the food Zhou and others leave out attracts yet more cats to the compound, exacerbating the problems. When new litters of kittens are born, residents sometimes put them in a box and leave them outside her front door.

"They know I wouldn't turn my back on those poor babies," says Zhou.

The arguments have intensified since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as rumors began to spread that cats could be vectors for the disease, according to Zhang, the former teacher. Though there is no evidence felines have passed on the coronavirus, cats are known to be carriers of zoonoses including rabies, toxoplasmosis, and ringworm.

The furor has turned cats into a hot-button policy issue for the Shanghai government. Revising local regulations to make officials responsible for "catching, sheltering, claiming, and adopting stray cats and cats without owners" is listed as a priority municipal project for 2020.

The Shanghai Center for Animal Disease Control, meanwhile, is testing a mobile app designed to "reduce any threats to the urban environment ... caused by the increasing number of stray cats."

The app is designed to foster a citywide system for trapping, neutering, and releasing stray cats on a large scale, to keep Shanghai's feline numbers in check. The approach - often referred to as TNR - is widely perceived as the most humane and cost-effective method for managing stray animals.

According to Wang Jian, a researcher at the center, the app will connect networks of volunteers, officials, residential committees, pet hospitals, and adoption agencies. Whenever local volunteers spot a stray, they can log the time and location of the sighting via the app, allowing the authorities to arrange for the animal to be desexed.

Creating these networks, however, is a daunting task for a city of over 24 million people. The center aims for the app to reach 50,000 annual downloads once it's launched, but at the moment it's struggling to find volunteers to test the app.

"It's mainly because there's no special fund to support the work," says Wang. "And there's no specific government department to manage stray cats."

But in Lujiazui, the eastern area home to Shanghai's skyscraper-laden financial district, the TNR campaign is already underway.

Local authorities have partnered with the government-backed Lujiazui Community Foundation to roll out TNR projects in residential complexes. One of the first neighborhoods to test the method has been the Shixin community, a group of six-story walk-ups built in the '80s.

Zhou Yun, who lives in Shixin and volunteers with the project, says the foundation's first task in each community is to get the residents onboard by explaining the benefits of TNR. Then, it organizes teams of local volunteers and experienced rescuers to catch any strays in the compound and send them to a pet hospital for sterilization. The cats are then returned to the compound and released.

So far, over half of the 30 cats living in Shixin have been neutered and released, and another 10 will follow once their health condition allows, says Zhou. The hope is that these cats will later find new owners through an adoption scheme the foundation is helping to set up.

The program has also helped upgrade the community's 12 shelters into waterproof cat "villas." A partner pet food company provides free kibble, so that residents no longer feed the strays with leftovers.

For cat lovers like Zhou, meanwhile, a side benefit of the project is that it has lent their attempts to care for the strays a sense of legitimacy. Now, they can lay out kibble in front of the swanky new cat houses in the mornings and evenings, rather than scurrying around the compound after dark.

"With the support of the government, we won't worry about being judged for rescuing stray cats by other residents," says Zhou. "We now feel like what we do is aboveboard."

The Lujiazui Community Foundation aims to replicate this success in the area's other 30 residential communities. Eventually, the aim is to launch similar projects across Shanghai.

The question, though, is who will pay for the scheme. In Shixin, the foundation provided 15,000 yuan ($2,200) of funding and plenty of support, but the organizers say they want local residents to play a greater role in future.

"We hope they can raise funds spontaneously and bring their own resources to this project," says Chen Dong, the foundation's TNR project manager. "We don't want them to rely on other organizations to solve problems."

Neighborhood officials, however, say the government needs to take the lead and provide more funding.

"In many foreign countries, the government is in charge of TNR for strays, and that's why they can solve this problem effectively," says Peng Bing, head of a neighborhood committee in another complex in eastern Shanghai.

Since 2018, Peng says her community has received around 10,000 yuan annually from local authorities for its TNR program, while residents have donated 40,000 yuan of their own money to rescue four local strays this year.

"It's far from enough if we need to rescue more cats, as the medical expenses are high," says Peng. "We're constantly worried that we'll be unable to receive funds from the government the following year."

Animal welfare groups are trying to help with fundraising. Shanghai Adoption Day, a local nonprofit, has been promoting TNR on social media since 2018, and now provides free neutering for 40 stray cats per month. The campaign, however, is still struggling to gain momentum, according to Vivien Yuan, manager of the nonprofit's cat adoption platform.

"Even though people know about TNR, most of them are unwilling to contribute their own money to sterilize cats, as it's expensive or they don't know how to catch a cat and think the whole process is too troublesome," says Yuan.

But Zhang, the former teacher, has placed her hopes in TNR. For her, it's the only way to bridge the divide between her community's pro- and anti-feline camps.

"Neutered cats will no longer cry and fight when they're in heat," she says. "It'll eliminate the problem of them disturbing people."

Since last October, Zhang has been organizing a TNR project in her neighborhood via the social app WeChat, which has attracted over 50 volunteers. In April, the group held a charity sale, raising enough money to fund the desexing of 12 community strays.

Some cat haters remain unconvinced, particularly due to health concerns, Zhang admits. She certainly doesn't plan to feed the strays unmasked anytime soon. But she still has faith they'll come to see the felines as friends one day.

"These cats are also effective at preventing rat infestations," says Zhang. "They're good neighbors for the community."
Additional reporting: Wu Ziyi; editor: Dominic Morgan. (Header image: A woman takes a photo of a stray cat in Shanghai, Aug. 7, 2020. Zhou Pinglang for Sixth Tone)

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Shanghai Confronts a Furry Pest Problem: Millions of Stray Cats

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SHANGHAI - For Zhang, feeding the stray cats outside her apartment block has become a high-stakes stealth activity. Usually, she waits until after dark before sneaking out to lay down some kibble. If she has to go during the day, she first puts on a hat, face mask, and sunglasses to conceal her identity.

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World Animal Day: Shanghai now has a 'cat island' for strays

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October 4 marks the World Animal Day, aimed at raising awareness about animal rights and welfare across the globe. One group in Shanghai is now protecting stray cats on a tiny island. Our reporter Chen Tong has the story.

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Sea level has risen 8-9 inches since 1880, and the rate is accelerating thanks to glacier and ice sheet melt.

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click on the various articles to find information on your topic

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climate change rising sea levels - Kiddle - visual search engine for kids

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climate change rising sea levels - Kiddle - visual search engine for kids

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Interesting article about your topic

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Academic pressure is the tension, discomfort, and other emotions caused by pressure from external factors in the learning process.

There are several causes of academic pressure, including parental pressure and poor organization and time management.

Academic pressure can be helpful in encouraging good performance, but excessive academic pressure can be detrimental to a student's health and overall well-being.

Raising children to be successful is a priority for many parents and guardians. This involves regularly planning their future and doing what it takes to get there academically. While this can be productive and encourage kids to aim high, the cycle of always looking ahead in one's academic life can be harmful. Many young adults go through a tremendous amount of academic pressure to get good grades, get into a prestigious college, and prepare for a successful career. Here, we'll examine academic pressure, its causes and effects, and some of the most effective coping strategies.

What is Academic Pressure?

Academic pressure is "the tension, discomfort, and other emotions caused by the pressure from school, family, and society in the learning process [*]."

From an early age, children are highly encouraged or sometimes even required by parents, guardians, or educators to think ahead and achieve academic milestones. This pattern of constantly anticipating the next step can be stressful for students, thus resulting in tension, discomfort, and other negative emotions.

While it is common for young students to be motivated by mild academic pressure, many also have negative experiences with such pressure, especially if it is in excess. Part of a young person's development through adolescence is learning how to balance the demands of life, and academic pressure can end up hindering one's growth.

Causes of Academic Pressure on Students

There are several causes of academic pressure on students, including the following:

Pressure from parents or guardians. Though this is usually well-intentioned, it is quite common for parents and guardians to be one of the sources of a student's academic pressure. Parents and guardians often want the best for their children and, in turn, place extra pressure on them to excel in school.

Pressure from heavy coursework. A student may also feel academic pressure from heavy coursework. It can be stressful to handle many difficult assignments from different classes all at once. The demands of each class may vary but can contribute to academic stress and pressure.

Pressure from poor organization and time management. Students are still honing their skills in adolescence, so it is not uncommon to find teenagers who cannot manage their time or organize their priorities very well.

Pressure from exams. Tests, exams, and any kind of assessment can put a lot of pressure on young people to perform well.

Pressure from the self. Living in a culture focused on performance also creates intense competition, which can manifest as academic pressure in adolescents who internalize it.

Pressure from other external sources. Many external factors can influence how much academic pressure a student experiences, such as the increasingly competitive nature of getting accepted into a good university. For instance, a student may observe that their friends excel in their studies, which can pressure them to perform well academically.

Signs That a Student is Experiencing Excessive Academic Pressure

Academic pressure is not necessarily a bad thing. It can be beneficial in pushing students to rise to challenges in the academic world. However, it can be detrimental in excess. Here are the signs that a student is experiencing excessive academic pressure:

Extreme competitiveness

Obsession with grades

Anxiety

Working constantly

Changes in appetite

Difficulty sleeping

Inability relaxing

Abusing stimulants (e.g., caffeine, prescription medications, etc.)

Refusal to socialize

Loss of interest in previously enjoyed pastimes

Effects of Academic Pressure on Students

Exactly how does academic pressure affect students? Here are the various ways:

Physical Health

A student may notice the following changes in their physical health following bouts of academic pressure:

Loss in appetite

Frequent headaches

Fatigue

Gastrointestinal issues

These physical symptoms indicate excessive stress and should be addressed immediately [*].

Mental Health

Academic pressure can also affect one's mental health. Excessive academic pressure can cause the following:

Depression

Anxiety

Poor sleep quality

Substance use

High levels of stress and burnout

Depersonalization

Social and Relationships

Studies have found that academic pressure significantly affects adolescents' problem behavior through parent-child conflict while also affecting subjective well-being [*]. This results in deviant behavior such as disruptions in sleep cycles, experimenting with sexual activity, and substance use.

Too much academic pressure may also lead to detrimental effects on students' relationships. Some develop a highly competitive nature, which may cause friction with peers. Isolating oneself to strive for academic excellence may also lead to feelings of loneliness.

Coping Strategies for Academic Pressure

Excessive academic pressure may have negative effects, but there are coping strategies students can use to combat it.

Arrange a study group: This can be especially helpful if a student isn't motivated by a subject. It helps to reward oneself after completing each section of the module or chapter.

Work in a café or library: The home or school environment can sometimes get distracting. Working somewhere quiet, like a nearby café or library, can help one focus and get work done.

Request for assignments early: If students can get ahead of their work, then it may save them the trouble of stressing over assignments that pile up later on.

Avoid comparing to others: It is easier said than done, but students should try not to judge themselves based on their friends' and classmates' goals and achievements. Adolescents can set their own goals and take pride in their hard work.

Keep health in check: Maintaining good sleeping, eating, and exercise habits can significantly lower stress levels and help combat academic pressure.

Maintain balance: A balanced lifestyle is essential to succeeding while maintaining physical and mental well-being. Aside from keeping healthy, students can do things like spend time with friends, engage in their favorite hobbies, and make time to rest. Forming these habits now will be useful for life after school.

Remember what matters: Parents and guardians can shape how academic pressure affects their children by focusing on what really matters. Adolescents who believe their parents or guardians value character traits more than achievement tend to show better mental health outcomes and lower risk-taking behaviors.

The Bottom Line

Excessive levels of academic pressure on students can lead to issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, and physical conditions like fatigue. While mild academic pressure is healthy and helpful, other negative effects of academic pressure on students are not to be underestimated. Using tools such as stress management worksheets can be helpful, but it is also important to address the root cause of academic pressure. The students of today are the future of tomorrow, so necessary steps must be taken to ensure their well-being.

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Academic Pressure: Causes, Effects, and Coping Strategies

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Academic pressure is typically experienced by students. Read on to learn more about it as well as ways to cope.

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The Effects of Parental Pressure on Children’s Mental Health

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Parental pressure often comes from a place of good intentions, but too much pressure can have harmful mental health consequences.

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China's strides toward gender equality in the workplace have been notable, marked by a growing number of women joining the workforce. Yet, substantial obstacles persist, hindering the full realization of true gender equality in the Chinese work environment. These barriers span from gender-based discrimination to deeply ingrained societal expectations surrounding women's roles, collectively posing challenges for women striving to shatter the glass ceiling.
In today's dynamic global business landscape, there is a growing emphasis on women's employment and empowerment. Countries worldwide are intensifying their efforts to combat gender-based discrimination. China, too, has made significant strides in promoting gender equality and fostering a more inclusive society for women.

These efforts have materialized through a diverse range of policies and initiatives. From organizing job fairs for women to enacting regulations aimed at safeguarding the interests of female employees, China has consistently achieved higher female employment rates compared to the global average.

However, despite this progress, achieving gender parity in leadership roles remains an ongoing challenge. The representation of women in top positions within companies continues to lag behind, and underlying gender-related issues persist.

Growing gender diversity in senior positions

The landscape of female representation within companies in China has seen noteworthy development in recent years.

According to recent US-based financial indices and analysis tools provider MSCI, the representation of women among senior level positions has seen a notable rise in Hong Kong-listed companies. In these firms, women accounted for 19 percent of the board seats as of October 2023, a significant increase from the previous year and noteworthy when compared to other Asia-Pacific countries.

This positive performance can be attributed to Hong Kong's regulatory policies - in particular, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing's (HKEX) listing rule that requires companies with single-gender boards to introduce at least one female board member by the end of 2024.

According to the MSCI report, this trend seems to contrast with what has been registered among companies in the mainland, revealing a slower pace of gender diversity promotion among the latter's corporate boards. In 2023, mainland China companies achieved a representation of 15.7 percent, trailing both the average worldwide and Asia-Pacific region representation levels. All-male boards still prevail in several large-cap companies in the consumer, information, and energy sectors, reflecting a lower rate of women specializing in these sectors.

Despite these contrasting trends, it is worth noting that as of 2024, more than half of Hong Kong-listed companies are mainland firms. This suggests that the latter have effectively adjusted to Hong Kong's regulatory environment, indicating a favorable inclination towards promoting women to decision-making positions that could spill into the broader context of the mainland. In fact, while women may not hold a high percentage of C-suite positions, the proportion of companies with women chief financial officers (CFOs) still outperformed both the global and the Asia-Pacific average, underscoring progress in gender diversity in senior leadership roles.

Initiatives such as the National Program for Women's Development (2021-2030), have played a crucial role in fostering this growth. While progress may be gradual, the top-down approach adopted by such initiatives have played an important role.

Analyzing the data shows that achieving gender parity in executive roles has been slower due to overall difficulties in climbing the social ladder within the corporates. However, recent developments within China's overall job market reveal more promising numbers for women entering the workforce at its early stages.

Notably, there has been significant growth in the overall workforce participation and mid-level promotion rates in recent times.

Workforce participation and mid-level promotions

The latest iteration of the National Program for Women's Development (2021-2030) guidelines aims to maintain the proportion of working women in the total workforce at around 45 percent and seeks to ensure that the proportion of women employed in urban units can reach around 40 percent by 2030.

Already, figures from the National Bureau of Statistics had revealed that in 2022, 43.2 percent of the working population consisted of women. Additionally, around 40.5 percent of female workers were employed by non-private enterprises in urban areas (e.g., state owned enterprises, foreign invested enterprises, etc.).

This positive momentum continued in 2023, as evidenced by the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report, which highlighted China's progress in economic participation and opportunities. With a 72.7 percent closure of the gender gap and an 81.5 percent parity in the labor-force participation rate, China's performance surpassed the global average. This could imply that challenges lie in advancing to roles of responsibility rather than in entering the workforce.

Government initiatives to boost female labor force participation

The Chinese government, in collaboration with relevant authorities, has played a key role in promoting targeted policies and initiatives aimed at creating positive stimulus that would encourage women's participation in the labor market.

Organization of job fairs for female job seekers

Large-scale job fairs specifically tailored for female job seekers, such as the recently organized " Spring Breeze Sending Warm Employment and Warming People's Hearts" ( 春风送温情 就业暖人心) job fair, serve as platforms for women to explore employment opportunities, receive career guidance, and engage in consultation. These job fairs provide a combination of both online and offline platforms ensuring a bigger range of participation. Furthermore, consultation areas contribute to enhancing women's support system in their career planning and skill development.

Skills training systems for laid-off women

In addition to job fairs, the government has intensified its efforts to provide job opportunities for women workers that have been laid off. This includes the implementation of targeted vacancies and the organization of skills training sessions aimed at enhancing their abilities and competitiveness in the labor market.

Women's Rights and Interests Protection Law

Finally, as part of the broader effort to promote gender equality in the workplace, the Chinese government has taken steps to strengthen the women's rights protection legal framework through a series of policies and legislations that encompass women's discrimination prevention in the workplace and extended benefits for maternity leave.

The recent update of the Women's Rights and Interests Protection Law, implemented on January 1, 2023, holds particular significance. The law is designed to safeguard the rights and interests of women, aiming to prevent discriminatory practices during the recruitment process and in opportunities for career advancement. Specifically, the law prohibits penalizing women based on factors such as marital status, pregnancy, or parental status, addressing longstanding grievances voiced by women who have faced discrimination in these areas.

The effective implementation of this legislation will create a more supportive environment for women to participate in the job market, enabling them to pursue careers beyond the entry-level position. This could potentially facilitate women's advancement to executive roles aligning with their career aspirations.

Persistent gender-related issues

Despite the recent strides made by China, deeply entrenched traditional gender norms and unconscious biases within the workplace continue to pose persistent challenges for women. These obstacles restricts women's employment opportunities and career advancement.

According to a survey conducted by the r ecruitment portal Zhaopin, of particular concern for Chinese women are the persistent gender discrimination and concerns over work-life balance.

On one hand, women face lower average salaries compared to men, perpetuating a persistent wage gap. According to the survey, women's average monthly salary in 2023 amounted to RMB 8,958 (approximately US$1244), a 12.9 percent lower compared to their male counterparts, largely due to the underestimation of women's abilities.

On the other hand, societal expectations regarding women's roles as caregivers further compound these challenges. Women are often expected to prioritize familial responsibilities over career advancement, leading to an unequal distribution of family duties within households. This imbalance frequently results in women enduring the most of unpaid domestic work, making it difficult to balance professional and familial obligations.

This societal pressure in some cases negatively impacts women's possibilities in career progression. In this context, many female workers have passively lost promotions as they chose to be in the "marriage and childbearing stage," influenced by deeply ingrained societal norms regarding women's roles.

This persistent focus on women and their maternal roles is also portrayed in government policies issued to ease the balancing act between work and motherhood, such as extended maternity leave, which, while well-intentioned, may inadvertently exacerbate challenges for women in the workforce. These policies often fail to adequately compensate for corporate losses, leading some employers to view men as more cost-effective options.

Looking ahead

China has made strides in promoting gender equality in the workplace, despite global gender discrimination persisting. The country has implemented regulations to provide women with equal access to employment opportunities and initiatives, aiming to narrow the gender gap and enhance career advancement prospects. Employers are urged to support government initiatives by fostering gender equality awareness and creating supportive work environments. With ongoing efforts, female employees in China can attain greater empowerment and contribute significantly to societal advancement.
About Us China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done so since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com. Dezan Shira & Associates also has offices in Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, United States, Germany, Italy, India, and Dubai (UAE). We also have partner firms assisting foreign investors in The Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh.

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China's Efforts to Bring in Gender Parity in the Workforce

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China has made strides in facilitating the hiring of more women in the workforce, although gender discrimination challenges persist.

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Gender Equality in China past to present

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Gender Equality in China past to present

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Before 1949, there was an old saying in imperial China - "too much learning does not become a virtuous woman." At the time, women were trapped taking care of their family, their life value largely bonded to fertility and homecare. As a result, education for them was limited.

After the PRC was established, the low productivity in the economy meant women were required to join the social production to enable a stable national food supply. As such, the saying "Women hold up half the sky" was popularized as more women began to work in fields, as well as vote in their communities.

China then advanced equal education, giving girls the ability to get the education they had missed out on. As a result, the literacy rate increased significantly - rising from less than 30% in the 1940s to 66% in 1978.

The economic reform in 1978 saw a move from a planned economy to a marketized economy, and industrialization brought about unprecedented chances for skilled female workers. The large demand for cheap labor in coastal areas caused an influx of rural residents into the cities. With most men already in employment, educate women seized the opportunity to get employed - which in turn saw young rural women moving to urban areas for jobs in factories, giving them independence from their families.

Due to the demand for skilled labour, two intertwined policies followed in the 1980s - the One Child Policy and the Compulsory Education Law, both having an affect on the country's women.

Due to the One Child Policy, parents' attitudes gradually changed. With only one child in each family, children were each equally cherished and cultivated, and girls were given more attention as they were growing up.

The Compulsory Education Law, implemented in 1986, continued to balance education inequality until there was a completely balanced education rate.

However, inequality still exists. Whilst education at all levels has become equally accessible for Chinese urban men and women, there is still a low enrollment rate for girls after the primary stage in rural parts of the country, showing a disparity still exists between rural and urban areas of the country.

Educated women and the development of feminism

Communism under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is seen as damaging for the gender equality due to its censorship and surveillance of activists fighting for political rights.

However, communism did have some positive outcomes for gender equality. Being educated has made women more aware of gender issues, and there are a growing number of educated women challenging social norms.

One example follows a Tiktok video of a Chinese mother of eight children, locked up in a village hut with a chain around her neck. The video sparked outrage in China and lead to a focus on speaking out for invisible women in rural areas - making discussions around gender equality more prevalent than they before.

Due to the reaction to the video, it has been proposed that marriages with trafficked women should be invalidated, showing the influence that Chinese women are having on legislation and how public pressure can hold the government to account.

China's prominent achievement in female educational attainment has directly created educated women, who are exploring what could be deemed a milder form of feminism under communism in contemporary China.

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Educational equality change in China and its function for gender...

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Before 1949, there was an old saying in imperial China - "too much learning does not become a virtuous woman." At the time, women were trapped taking care of their family, their life value largely bonded to fertility and homecare. As a result, education for them was limited.

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In Shang and Zhou/Chou times, you could not change your place in life. Whatever your father was, you were. In nearly all families, boys were taught by their fathers to do the same job their father did. If their father was a farmer, their father would teach them how to farm. The only exception, for peasant boys, would be to join the military, and that was not usually a move up. If the city was attacked, the craftsmen and merchants were not brought inside the city walls. They were not considered important enough. They were left to fend for themselves as best they could. Girls were taught by their mothers how to be a good wife and mother.

Sons of nobles, however, could learn from a tutor, who taught small groups of privileged boys. Tutors were paid. One such teacher was Confucius.

In Han times, school was free for boys. At one point, over 30,000 students (all boys) were enrolled. Girls from both rich and poor families could not attend school. It was not allowed. The ancient Chinese believed it was a waste of time to educate a girl because their opinions did not matter. Girls could be taught at home, but even that was rare.

In Tang times, people came from as far away as India and Korea to study the arts in China. There were special rooms in the imperial palace for training. You had to have talent, but the opportunity was there.

The Job Market: Things changed in government, as well. Under Tang leadership, you did not have to be a noble to get a good job. You did, however, have to pass an examination. Examination Day was a big deal. It was everyone's chance to move up in the world. The roadways were crowded with carriages arriving at the examination hall. People came on foot. Everyone wanted to take the exam. Those who passed were assigned a job in the capital or in one of the many smaller towns in the countryside.

Since girls did not go to school, and usually could not read or write, they could not enter government service, because they could not pass the exam. In ancient China, a girl's future was to married and have kids of her own.

The True Story of Mulan

Professions in Ancient China

The Three Teachings

Children in Ancient China
Women in Ancient China Daily Life in Ancient China Free Interactive Games Stories about Ancient China

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School & Education in Ancient China - Ancient China for Kids

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In Shang and Zhou/Chou times, you could not change your place in life. Whatever your father was, you were. In nearly all families, boys were taught by their fathers to do the same job their father did. If their father was a farmer, their father would teach them how to farm.

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Read the section titled: Chinese Women’s Access to Education

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Rapid modernization has enabled China to provide its citizens with improved living standards and increased economic opportunities. Yet this process has yielded uneven gains between men and women. Pronounced wage gaps and imbalanced political representation are just two of the many issues hindering gender equality in China. Working to address these inadequacies is essential for China as it continues its socio-economic development.

China's constitution guarantees women "equal rights with men in all spheres of life," and over the last several decades, women in China have enjoyed some notable gains. Life expectancy and literacy rates, for instance, have risen as China's economy has developed. This progress, however, has been outpaced by the rest of the world. China's ranking in the index fell sharply from 63 rd out of 115 countries in 2006 to 103 rd out of 149 countries in 2018.

Chinese Women's Health Prospects

Access to healthcare and positive health outcomes are key measures of gender equality. Similar to other developing countries, as China has grown richer its citizens have enjoyed a higher life expectancy. Chinese women born in 2016 can expect to live 77.8 years, an increase of 4.2 years from 2000 and 9.5 years from 1980. While female life expectancy in China has surpassed the global average since 1970, it still falls short of high-income neighbors like Japan (87.1 years) and South Korea (85.2 years).

Improvements in health outcomes have primarily been driven by government initiatives. Soon after taking power in 1949, the Communist Party created a state-driven health service that was offered at little to no cost for its citizens. These services were transformed into a market-based healthcare system in the 1980s. In 2009, President Hu Jintao initiated comprehensive healthcare reforms to enable "everyone to enjoy basic healthcare services." This effort has largely succeeded, which is all the more impressive given China's massive population. As of 2012, 95 percent of Chinese citizens receive a modest level of healthcare coverage.

Beijing has also instituted programs specifically designed for women. These include the National Program for Women's Development 2001-2010 and the subsequent National Program for Women's Development 2011-2020 - both of which increased access to preventive screenings, standard reproductive healthcare services, and health and nutritional education. Such measures have delivered tangible gains. A survey issued by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that in 2013 the number of women undergoing screenings for general diseases rose to 68.7 percent, a 7.5 percentage increase from 2010.

Other health indicators, such as the maternal mortality rate, also reflect positive change. According to the World Bank, China has dramatically lowered its maternal mortality ratio from 97 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to only 27 deaths in 2015. This ratio surpasses those found in other large developing economies like Brazil (44:100,000) and India (174:100,000). OECD countries average 14 deaths per 100,000 live births, with Finland's ratio of 3:100,000 leading the way.

China's sex ratio at birth is the most imbalanced in the world, with only 87 girls born per 100 boys.

China has also taken strides to improve postnatal care. A law introduced by the State Council in 2012 increased paid maternity leave to 14 weeks, and in some provinces, an entire year. I n 2016, China further maternity leave by an additional one to three months (depending on province). The length of maternity leave in China is now comparable to the paid leave offered by many wealthy European countries, and it is a significant improvement over the US, which has no federally mandated leave.

While China has achieved a higher life expectancy and better health outcomes for women, it still suffers from an imbalanced sex ratio at birth. The lingering effects of the One-Child Policy and the longstanding cultural "son bias" have contributed to a female-to-male ratio of 87:100 at birth, ranking China last out of 149 countries surveyed by the WEF.

The sex ratio at birth is even more pronounced in rural areas. China's 2010 census revealed that in Anhui, for instance, the ratio was less than 80 females to 100 males. However, this ratio may not fully capture China's sex ratio, as some women who were hidden from authorities at birth have been added to official records as they age and require social services, healthcare, and education.

China now faces the challenge of a rising population of young unmarried men. The number of single men is expected to grow to 30 million in 2020. This imbalance has been associated with negative socio-economic consequences, including a declining labor force and an increase in human trafficking. Over time, however, China's sex ratio is expected to level out. According to the United Nations, China's sex ratio is projected to reach 106 males per 100 females by 2050.

Chinese Women's Access to Education

Across the globe, women face significant educational disadvantages. Women often receive less schooling than men, which limits their economic prospects and has been linked with higher rates of early pregnancy.

China has made a concerted effort to boost access to education for its entire population. The 1986 Nine-Year Compulsory Education Law and the 1995 Education Law of the People's Republic of China established equal access to enrollment, degrees, and study abroad programs. These measures have contributed to a rise in the literacy rate of women from 86.5 percent in 2000 to 92.7 percent in 2017. While noteworthy, this still places China in the lower half of global rankings, well behind highly developed economies where literacy is over 99 percent.

Over time, China's compulsory education laws are likely to further improve literacy rates. The mean years of schooling for women in China grew from 4.8 years in 1990 to 7.6 in 2017, and primary school enrollment is nearly universal. The vast majority of young Chinese women (95.9 percent) move on to secondary schools. These levels of enrollment are much higher than their respective global averages - 88.3 percent for primary education and 75.9 percent for secondary education.

Since 2008, Chinese women have been more likely than men to continue onto tertiary and postgraduate education. According to the Ministry of Education, women constituted 52.5 percent of undergraduate students in China's colleges and universities in 2017. The WEF ranks China as number 1 in gender balance for tertiary education.

At China's top universities, gender ratios still skew toward men. In 2018, the female-to-male ratio at Peking University was 48 to 52, while the ratio at Tsinghua University was lower at 34 to 66. In contrast, female students are more likely to study abroad than their male peers. In 2014, women accounted for 51 percent of Chinese students studying in the US and 63 percent of those in the UK.

China's urban-rural disparities further affect equal access to education. A 2016 report by the China Social Welfare Foundation found that while 96.1 percent of rural girls had enrolled in primary education, only 79.3 percent moved on to secondary levels. Some note that this drop is due to lower parental expectations and fewer employment opportunities for rural women.

Beijing is working to reduce the gap between rural and urban girls. In Sichuan province, for instance, efforts to elevate the quality of education include providing libraries, multimedia classrooms, and improved school infrastructure to rural elementary schools. Multimedia classrooms have also been utilized in the Ningxia and Gansu provinces, where schools have introduced livestreamed lessons to allow resource-sharing between urban and rural students.

Economic Opportunities for Women in China

China's economic growth has improved overall prosperity, but Chinese women have benefited less from these gains. Throughout the 1980s, female participation in the labor force was high, averaging around 80 percent. By 2018, however, female workforce participation had dropped to 68.6 percent, only slightly higher than the US (66.1 percent) and roughly equal to Japan (68.7 percent). This decreasing trend runs contrary to other major developing countries, like Brazil and South Africa, which witnessed increased female participation over the same period.

According to Human Rights Watch, 19 percent of the Chinese national civic service jobs posted in 2018 included requirements such as "men only," "men preferred," or "suitable for men."

The reasons for this sharp decline are multifaceted, but China's changing social structure and economic modernization are commonly cited as primary factors. For instance, the restructuring of China's state-owned enterprises in the 1990s had particularly negative consequences for women. Although aimed at boosting productivity and efficiency, the privatization process precipitated layoffs of low-skilled, and often female, workers.

China's development has also disproportionately benefited men. The income gap between urban male and female workers increased from 15 percent in 1990 to 25 percent in 2000. This disparity has persisted over the last two decades. A 2018 poll reported that Chinese women on average earn 22 percent less than their male coworkers.

Given these factors, the WEF unsurprisingly ranks China 74 th globally in wage equality, behind the US at 8 th and the UK at 64 th. South Korea, which has a GNI per capita more than twice that of China, is riddled with even greater wage inequality than China. Ranked in the bottom fifth globally in terms of wage equality, South Korean women earned a shocking $26,725 per capita less than men in 2017. In the same year, Chinese women suffered a wage discrepancy of roughly $6,000.

Learn More "Is China Ready for Intelligent Automation?"

Other factors are also at work. Around 50 percen t of Chinese women work in secretarial, sales, and accounting positions, which typically pay less than the sales, technology, and manufacturing positions that employ 58 percent of Chinese men. The coming wave of intelligent automation may further divide the labor force. The reported in late 2018 that there is a considerable risk that growing demand for AI skills could "perpetuate - and even widen - the sort of gender and equity gaps that often impact the technology sector."

The noticeable lack of women in managerial positions further exacerbates this issue. According to the WEF, only 17 percent of senior managers, officials, and legislators in China are women. These factors are not unique to China, as only 29 percent of managerial positions in Germany are held by women. In Japan, it is a meager 13 percent.

Gender Inequality in China: A Conversation with Leta Hong Fincher

Additional roadblocks perpetuate these inequalities. For instance, the official retirement age for Chinese women is at least five years earlier than men, which reduces their potential earnings. Discrimination extends to the hiring process as well. According to Human Rights Watch, 19 percent of the Chinese national civic service jobs posted in 2018 included requirements such as "men only," "men preferred," or "suitable for men."

Entrepreneurship stands as one area where Chinese women take a leading role. A 2017 WEF report noted that women set up 55 percent of new internet companies in China, and more than a quarter of all the entrepreneurs in the country were women. The 2018 Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs also ranks China out of more than 60 countries surveyed, just behind countries like Germany (23 rd) and France (24 th).

Women's Political Participation in China

Women continue to face barriers in terms of political empowerment around the world. According to the World Bank, only 23.9 percent of parliamentary seats are held by women globally. Women in China face comparably low levels of representation. The WEF ranks China 78 th in terms of the political involvement of women, below similarly populous India (19 th), but ahead of the US (98 th). Iceland, with 38.1 percent of seats in its parliament occupied by women, ranks first globally.

Since 1949, China has had only six female members on the 25-member Politburo.

While the government officially supports gender equality, large disparities in political representation remain. In 2017, female membership in the CCP was roughly one quarter of total party membership. Similarly, only 24.9 percent of representatives in the 13 th session of the National People's Congress hosted in 2018 were women. No woman has ever sat on China's Politburo Standing Committee, nor has any woman ever held the presidency. Since 1949, China has had only six female members on the 25-member Politburo.

Beijing has introduced some measures to encourage greater political participation among women. With assistance from the United Nations, the All-China Women's Federation supported training programs on leadership and political participation for rural women from 2011 to 2015.

Such efforts may fall short in facilitating women's political participation. China's 2018 ranking in the WEF's Global Gender Gap report has fallen 26 places since 2006, placing it at 78 th out of 149 countries. Three of the G-7 countries - the US, Japan, and Germany - witnessed a similar decline. In contrast, some countries rose in the rankings, such as Chile, which jumped from 56 th place in 2006 to 31 st in 2018.

Chinese women have become more active in asserting their rights through protest, but outlets for activism are increasingly difficult to find. China's recent participation in the 'Me Too' movement, in which Chinese women campaigned against sexual abuses and exploitation in universities and workplaces, was met with swift censorship. The movement's hashtag on China's popular microblogging website, Weibo, was removed by censors shortly after it gained traction online.

Previous instances of activism also faced pushback from the government. The Feminist Five, a group of five Chinese women famous for their social activism, were arrested in 2015 over plans to protest sexual harassment in subways. They are still labeled " criminal suspects" despite their release from prison.

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Do Women in China Face Greater Inequality than Women Elsewhere? | ChinaPower Project

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Rapid modernization has enabled China to provide its citizens with improved living standards and increased economic opportunities. Yet this process has yielded uneven gains between men and women. Working to address these inadequacies is essential for China as it continues its socio-economic development.

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Ms. Sue 1D: suey@suis.com.cn

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Possible meeting time: Wednesday period 3

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Kirsty LT: kirstyb@suis.com.cn

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Possible meeting time - email mentor to find out

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Dear ___________ and ______________,

My name is _____________, and the members of my group are ______________. I received your name from our teachers. Thank you, both for agreeing to mentor us. We are hoping to learn from you both and get your guidance on the best path for us to take as we go through our PYPx journey.

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Most-Educated Women in China Land Fewer Job Offers: Equality

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Hi there, it’s Jinshan Hong, a data journalist in Hong Kong. I’m here to share a paradox women in China face when they pursue higher education. But first…