Social Changes and Occupational Gender Inequality

Abstract

From the initial stage of reform and opening-up to the outside world to the end of the twentieth century, gender differences in China widened and inequality for women worsened. Gender segregation exists in more occupational categories. The number of occupations with segregation against women is far greater than the number of occupations with segregation against men, and the degree of female segregation in white-collar occupations is higher than in blue-collar occupations. The degree of inequality in units outside the system is higher than in units inside the system and also higher in coastal provinces than in inland provinces. In terms of occupational status, the difference in the gender ratio is widening among high-ranking positions. However, the gender difference in occupational status outside the system is lower than that within the system and it is also higher in coastal provinces than in inland provinces. The widening of gender inequality is mainly related to the switching of the nation's political goals, the slackening of the nation's control of resources to realize gender equity, the faultiness of related laws and regulations, and unsuccessful law enforcement. Meanwhile, under the conditions of overall increasing gender inequality and certain other factors, the market is playing its role in restraining gender inequality.