Women in Leadership 女性领导力 (Nǚxìng lǐngdǎolì)
Examining the rise of women in leadership roles can showcase the changing attitudes towards gender roles in China. This article by Emilia (Year 12) will highlight examples of women holding influential positions in politics, business, and academia
通过审视女性在领导岗位上的崛起，可以展示中国社会对性别角色的态度变化。本文将突出在政治、商业和学术领域担任重要职务的女性的例子
In China’s evolving societal norms, the prominence of women in leadership roles demonstrates the shifting attitudes towards gender roles in the country; and as women continue to gain influential positions in politics and excel in academia and the business world, their collective impact will help reshape leadership in the future and change perceptions about what women can achieve in Chinese society. So, I wanted to mention some smart and hardworking women.
在中国不断发展的社会规范中，女性在领导角色中的突出表现表明了中国对性别角色的态度正在发生转变；随着女性不断在政界获得有影响力的职位，并在学术界和商界表现出色，她们的集体影响将有助于重塑未来的领导力，以及人们对女性在中国社会所能取得的成就的看法。所以，在下文中我想提一提又聪明又努力的女性。
Guo Jianmei – first public interest lawyer in China
In 1995, Guo was inspired by something said by Hilary Clinton at the U.N Fourth World Conference of Women. She stated ‘human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights’. Not long after, she founded a women’s legal aid NGO which earned her an award from Clinton as a Woman of Courage.
Howey Ou – Climate activist
Howey Ou launched China’s first climate strike at the age of 16 when she held up banners outside the City Hall in Guilin, southern China. She is known as China’s version of Greta Thunberg and has been described by her as a ‘true hero’. Additionally, she bought trees with her savings and planted them around her home city as part of her ‘Plant for Survival’ campaign.
Laura Cha Shin May-lung – former vice-chair of the China Securities Regulatory Commission
After her career as a lawyer in California and then Hong Kong, Laura joined the ‘Hong Kong securities and Futures Commission’ and eventually became Deputy Chairman. She then became the first non-mainlander in the role of vice-chair of the China Securities Regulatory Commission.
Fu Ying – Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
After being in many government jobs, Fu became China’s ambassador to the Philippines in 1998, then to Australia in 2003, and then to the UK in 2007. She has been praised for her expert handling of the media after criticism from western media against China’s successful bid to host the Olympics.
Li Yan – Short-track Speed Skating Coach
In the 1992 Winter Olympics, Li won a silver medal and later went on to coach gold medalist Apolo Ohno in the 2006 Winter Olympics. She has since coached the Chinese national team through the last two Olympic seasons.
Dong Mingzhu – Gree Electric’s chairwoman and president
Dong Mingzhu is a Chinese entrepreneur who serves as Gree Electric’s chairwoman and president. She began her career as a salesperson at Gree, the world’s largest air-conditioner manufacturer, and then climbed to the top. She preaches her motto: ‘The more difficult, the more capable, and the more confident’.
Chloé Zhao – Golden Globe winner for best director
Chloé Zhao is a Chinese-born filmmaker who is known primarily for her work on independent films. She is the first Asian woman to win a Golden Globe for best director and the second-ever women to do so for her film Nomadland.
Zhang Guimei – Headmistress of Huaping High School for Girls
Zhang Guimei is a Chinese educator who is the founder and principal of Huaping High School for Girls, China’s first and only free public high school for girls, in a mountainous region in southwest China’s Yunnan Province. She has devoted her life to improve girls education in China.