Chinese Women and Poverty Alleviation: Reflections and Prospects for the Future

Abstract

Based on its understanding of development, the international community has asked that all governments and people combat poverty and strive for gender equality. Consequently, the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women passed the “Plan of Action,” which made women’s poverty an area of concern. Ten years have now passed and tremendous changes have occurred in Chinese society and in our awareness of development. The formation of the Chinese government’s views on development—“taking people as the foundation” and “harmonious society”—are the result of rethinking past approaches to development, which were centered on economic growth. Gender-sensitive interpretations of these new approaches to development can make them a platform for Chinese women fighting for gender equality. Based on this train of thought, this article reflects on women’s poverty, the fight against poverty, and the great efforts that the government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have made in this area. At the same time, it analyzes women’s poverty from new perspectives and seeks to create a framework for analyzing women’s poverty by synthesizing approaches based on human development indicators and considerations of income, time, and asset poverty.