Mao’s use of Propaganda and Policy towards Women Zahra & Lauren Zahra & Lauren

Emancipation of Women   In traditional Chinese Society, obedience to “proper” authority was a duty   For women, this meant that as daughters they owed obedience to their fathers, as wives to their husbands and as widows to their oldest son.   Foot-binding was widespread   Arranged marriages often involved the payment of a dowry   Rich and powerful men kept mistresses as well as wives   Few Chinese women were able to receive education   Bearing the burden of child rearing and house work, they were also expected to work on the fields.

Policies towards Women under the Communist Reigme   The right to vote and the right to own property   Greater educational opportunities   Banned on arranged marriages: In 1950, the Marriage Law banned arranged marriage and child marriages and polygamy.   Share in heavy manual labour: Mao proposed nurseries   Represented in the government   Ban on concubinage   Easier divorces: Women were also given the right to divorce not just the other way around and and this lead to a huge increase in divorce with 1.3 million divorce petition filed in 1953

Assessment: How did this strengthen his position as a leader?  His policies were successful to a large extent and he gained much support from the female population  As a result of such policies more women were able to work and were liberated by customs such as foot binding and adultery.  However, changing the attitudes of men was a struggle and he undermined the policies to a small extent as well

Propaganda   Chinese society was closely controlled. Mao used his loyal Party workers and ‘propagandists’ to spread Communist ideas.   In 1951 Mao had 1.5 million propagandists. They flooded China with propaganda.   They put up wall posters and ran discussion groups, accusation groups (when people got together to talk about their own and others’ failures to be good Communists), story-telling groups and memory meetings.

Propaganda   Propaganda was at every corner. Roadside loudspeakers broadcast radio programmes reporting the latest successes of the Communist reform programmes.   All newspapers were controlled by the Communist Party. The government made propaganda films.

Assessment: How did this strengthen his position as a leader?   His propaganda policies were successful to a large extent as for through his use of propaganda he was able to get rid of his opponents. This was able to brainwash the people into believing that he knew what was right for them and that desired a better life for his people   The Little Red Book was key   One of the major aims of propaganda was to expose anyone who might oppose Communist rule. Foreigners, missionaries or businessmen who might spread anti-Communist ideas were forced to leave the country.

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