WOMEN IN CHINA

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 101, 2 May 1927, Page 12

WOMEN IN CHINA

Chinese traditions die hard. New ideas aro mistrusted. No change takes place without a struggle. China, therefore, is about tho last place where one expects to hear of women's rights (writes Mary Dexter in the "Sydney Morning Herald"). Tradition laid it down that a woman was tho helpmate of husband or some othor male relation. Her spare time was devoted to rearing silkworms, weaving cloth, assisting in agriculture, and in other ways supplementing tho man's earnings. She had no independent financial life nor occupations outside those connected, with the home.

Knowing these things, the visitor to China is astonished when walking down Nankin road, Shanghai, to find across tho windows of ono building tho words, "Shanghai Women's Commercial and Savings Bank." Tho first thought is that this must be just another of tho American institutions established in Shanghai, American influence there being strong. Inquiries show, however, that the bank was established solely by Chinese women. It rocmited girl student clerks, whose ages ranged from eighteen years upward. After three years' training the most competent were retained for service, and given salary, bonus, and promotion in tho same way as men. Nor is this tho only bank to employ women. Throo others in Shanghai have girl clerks and secretaries, working under practically the same conditions as tho men. Thoro is no need in China, by the way, to follow Sydney's example and put women bank clerks into uniforms. Even when wearing evening dress Chinoso women, who are sufficiently advanced to jazz, still cover their anna and neck.

The Nationalist agitation of 1910 paved the way to new spheres of work for women. Women began taking gre.iter interest in the affairs of thoir country and sought new employment for themselves. Canton was the pioneer city. In 1920 several women started a general store, where imported goods wore sold. A bank then opened a special department for women's savings accounts. Both were successful. The Canton-Samshui Railway administration was not impressed with women workers when it gave them a trial at selling and inspecting tickets. Many of Canton's telephone operators are women. Girls are also employed in a number of tea houses and restaurants. A leading bank introduced femaie workers in Pokin. There also they handled women's savings accounts. In addition to a bonus the employees were paid between £3 10s and £5 per month a large department store engaged saleswomen and found them so satisfactory that other Pekin shops have followed the example.

In Shanghai is one woman who is not only the first female lawyer, but the first Chinese of either sex to bo admitted to.the practice of her profession in the French Courts of the city She is Soumay Tcheng, a student of politics for tho past sixteen years, a French scholar,, tormev attache of the Chinese delegation to the Peace Conference in lans, author, Doctor of Laws of the University of Paris, and a zealous revolutionist at tho time of the Manol™ overthrow. She is now only 32 years of ago. The.Ministry of Justice in P- ekm recently appointed her. to invest!gate other countries' legal systems. Bosides practising law, Miss -Tchen X is working for women's economic freedom and political and educational equality with men. J