State policies and women's autonomy in China, the Republic of Korea, and India 1950 - 2000 : lessons from contrasting experiences

Abstract

The report compares changes in gender roles and women's empowerment in China, the Republic of Korea, and India. Around 1950, when all these countries had new governments following revolution or the end of colonial rule, they were largely poor and agrarian, with many cultural commonalities which placed similar severe constraints on women's autonomy. They adopted very different paths of development, which are known to have profoundly affected development outcomes in these countries. However, these choices have also had tremendous impact on gender outcomes, and today these countries show striking differences in the extent of gender equity achieved: China has achieved the most, and the Republic of Korea the least. The report concludes that: a) States can exert enormous influence over gender equity. They can mitigate cultural influences on women's autonomy, or slow down the pace of change in gender equity despite rapid integration of women in education, formal employment, and urbanization. b) The impact of policies to provide opportunities for women's empowerment can be greatly enhanced if accompanied by communication efforts to alter cultural values which place heavy constraints to women's accessing these opportunities.

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