Why are women unlikely to win promotion race at China’s Communist Party congress?
- Female cadres tend to rise through gender pathways in areas such as education and civil affairs, and in mass organisations
- But they’re rarely assigned to more high-profile portfolios such as economics, finance, industry and technology
The rarity of female state leaders in China often sees them characterised as mythical creatures – “phoenix feather and unicorn horns” in Chinese idiom.
But the boys’ club of Chinese elite politics means very few women hold real power. For those who do make it, the path is likely to be long and tortuous as they overcome bureaucratic hurdles and gender stigmas.
“If I had a young niece in China who wanted a political career, I would suggest to her to start early, get as many university degrees as possible, preferably a PhD,” Minglu Chen, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney’s China Studies Centre, said in a lecture outlining the traits shared by female cadres.
“She should join the Communist Party instead of a minor political party. She is probably going to benefit from a leadership position in the youth league.”
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In reality, it takes a lot more than ticking those boxes for women to rise to the top. Analysts said they must find their way through a career maze and overcome the motherhood penalty of lower pay and less responsibility when they rejoin the workforce after giving birth. Being the daughter of a former high-ranking official also helps in terms of building a political network – something that female politicians often lack.
