A study of 125,532 articles from the People's Daily suggests the newspaper has increasingly emphasized women's domestic roles over their public contributions since 1990.
Key facts
- •Researchers analyzed 125,532 articles from the People's Daily published between 1990 and 2023.
- •The study aimed to gauge the Communist Party's stance on women's societal roles.
- •The People's Daily is considered the mouthpiece of the party and central government.
- •Recent coverage increasingly emphasizes women's domestic roles over their public sphere contributions.
A new study examining the Communist Party's official newspaper, People's Daily, indicates a shift in how the publication portrays women's roles in society. Researchers analyzed over 125,000 articles published between 1990 and 2023 to track the party's messaging on gender. The findings suggest that recent coverage has moved away from highlighting women's participation in the public sphere, focusing instead on their roles within the household.
By the numbers
Historical context of party messaging
For decades, the party's messaging on gender equality has been anchored by the quote attributed to Mao Zedong, "Women hold up half the sky." Following the 1949 founding of the People's Republic, the government implemented the Marriage Law, which prohibited arranged marriages and foot-binding while promoting women's access to education and the workforce.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by South China Morning Post.
