Page "Chinese literature" Paragraph 119

When Mao came to power in 1949, he addressed the issue of women's rights and tried to establish women's equality through the " iron girls " of national development ideal.

Through this philosophy, long-standing practices such as foot binding, prostitution and trafficking of women were abolished.

Women were given the opportunity to own land, divorce, and join the military and other employment fields.

The establishment of this ideology, however, did not liberate women ; instead, it undermined the feminine voice by forcing women to take a male-oriented stance on public and domestic policy.

Literature authored during this time reflects the restrictive and masculine perspective of women writers during this period.

This " Mulanian " style of writing submerged true feminine identity, rendering the female perspective neglected and hidden in the male dominated political and aesthetic arenas.

There were some exceptions to this rule, such as Yuan Qiongqiong, who wrote about women ’ s issues and how much women could accomplish without men.