Guangdong's Glass Ceiling -- Few Cracks Showing

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000513 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SOCI CH SUBJECT: Guangdong's Glass Ceiling -- Few Cracks Showing (U) This document is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (U) Summary: Promoting women cadres may be a priority for provincial officials, but Guangdong continues to fall short. Despite an increase in the number of women officials here, some academics believe that the environment is not favorable for their promotion; few women are actually given the chance to play important policymaking roles. Discrimination, traditional attitudes and women's lack of enthusiasm about entering government and politics continue to be obstacles to breaking Guangdong's glass ceiling. End summary. -------------- --- Guangdong Makes an Effort, Achieves Some Results -------------- --- ¶2. (SBU) The Guangdong Communist Party Committee has strengthened training programs for women cadres, according to scholars at the provincial party school. In 1991, the school launched a special three-month training program for women cadres. So far, there have been 32 training sessions with 1,600 participants. According to Professor Song Anchun, the curriculum is similar to that for male cadres, but includes special subjects such as gender equality, leadership, and women's psychology. He noted that most of the program participants are women cadres at the section-chief level from throughout Guangdong province and indicated that they have few candidates at the more senior division-chief level. ¶3. (U) In addition to the party school program, the Guangdong People's Congress passed the "Method of Implementing the Law on Protection of Women's Interest and Rights in Guangdong" in May 2007, stipulating that the government at all levels embrace gender equality and ensure that women enjoy the same rights as men. The 2006-2010 "Plan for Guangdong Cadre Education and Training" also attaches importance to the training and nurturing of women cadres. ¶4. (U) Guangdong is making progress in this area. In 2005, women made up 40.5 percent of the total cadre population -- a 4 percent point increase from 2000. Nationally, only 38.9 percent of cadres were women in 2005. In 2005 in neighboring Fujian, just 37.3 percent of cadres were women. -------------- But Only for Show? -------------- ¶5. (SBU) While these developments look good on paper, the reality is less rosy, according to some scholars. Lu Ying, a law professor and Director of the Women and Gender Equality Research Center at Sun Yat-sen University, told us that Guangdong fails to provide a favorable environment for women to advance professionally. She has noticed that most women officials here are deputies and that even the most capable women officials do not play an active role in public administration and policymaking. She cited Li Li, Vice Director of the Standing Committee of the Guangzhou People's Congress as a prime example. Lu commented that Li Li, who clearly deserved a higher position, was a model woman official who possessed strong legal knowledge and had contributed to promoting government transparency in Guangzhou, but her work was often underappreciated. Lu concluded that the promotion of women to the deputy level is often just for show -- a superficial demonstration of China's attentiveness to gender equality. -------------- What's Wrong with Guangdong? -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Professor Qu Ning of the Women's Cadre Training School and Women's Vocational School, pointed out that Guangdong's most recent survey on women's social in 2000 (the survey is conducted every ten years) concluded that overall attitudes about women's role in society were actually growing more traditional. Qu dismissed explanations that the booming economy had enabled more women to feel like they could stay home if their husbands were rich enough, noting that this had not been the case in Beijing or western countries, where women still took policymaking positions. However, Qu commented that many women in Guangdong were more interested in a good husband than a good job because they believed a rich and powerful husband could be a conduit to a good job. Qu contended that a lack of transparency in China's political system fueled this belief. ¶7. (SBU) Recently, Qu asked a class of 100 female students how many of them wanted to become government officials. Only four raised their hands. According to Qu, the reluctance of the other 96 was largely due to the belief that politics is dirty and like a battlefield not suitable for women. In her work, she emphasizes GUANGZHOU 00000513 002 OF 002 that more women need to be involved n policymaking. She believes she is making some progress, having trained a number of women who never thought about participating in government but who had gone on to become government officials. Qu said she tries to persuade her students that taking a government job represents a civic responsibility and can be very satisfying. Convincing her female students this is the case, she told us, is not easy. -------------- Problems Amplified in Rural Areas -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Pointing out that women officials in lower levels of government in rural areas are especially rare, Qu offered two explanations: more discrimination in rural areas and the tendency of women to leave rural areas and seek work in coastal cities. To address these challenges, the Guangdong Party School developed a correspondence education program to reach women cadres at the county level and provided them the opportunity to take part in distance learning on the Internet. Still, Professor Song of the Guangdong Party School admitted that women's education in rural areas is still lagging due primarily to discrimination. -------------- Promoting Women's Issues or Themselves? -------------- ¶9. (SBU) According to Professor Lu of Sun Yat-sen University, the China Women's Federation has made efforts to promote gender equality legislation, but women leaders in the organization are unwilling to push for radical changes due to pressure from senior leaders and the desire to advance their own careers. She cited her own personal experience as evidence. In the 1970s, she worked for the Guangdong Communist Party Committee and China Women's Federation and had the chance to be promoted to Party Secretary of Huiying County. However, she chose to leave politics because she felt that women officials had to spend too much time pleasing senior leaders rather than helping other women. Lu believes that working as a researcher and lawyer is a more effective way to reach women. GOLDBERG