Women’s Contributions to the Household Economy in Pre-1949 China: Evidence from the Lower Yangzi Region

Abstract

The economic role of women in pre-1949 China has been the subject of an ongoing debate. Farm surveys conducted in the highly commercialized region of the Lower Yangzi in the early to mid-twentieth century show that the value of women’s overall economic contribution was very similar to men’s. In particular, while a gendered division of labor existed, it was likely more notable within sericulture rather than between sericulture (in which women were supposed to specialize) and farming (predominantly a man’s job). Moreover, although men were overrepresented in local wage employment both on and off the farm, the comparatively low economic returns to these activities suggest that economic considerations rather than cultural preferences were the primary reason behind this gendered specialization. Equally important, although outnumbered by men, women were able to migrate and, conditional on employment in this better remunerated sector, they contributed equally to remittance income.