A Study On The Course And Experience Of The Urban Women’s Liberation Movement In New China (1949-1965)

The theory of women’s liberation is an important component of Marxist theory and the theoretical cornerstone of proletarian political parties leading the women’s liberation movement.The CPC has always been committed to the overall liberation of women in China.After the establishment of New China,the focus of the Party’s work shifted from rural areas to cities,and the focus of the women’s liberation movement also shifted accordingly.The Party immediately put the work of women’s liberation on an important agenda.Due to the urgent needs of urban production development and other factors,the urban women’s liberation movement in New China has become an important component of the central work in various historical periods of national economic development.The main characteristic of the women’s liberation movement from the establishment of New China to the pre Cultural Revolution was to revolve around and serve the central work in each period.Because of this,urban women in New China have achieved unprecedented liberation,and the achievements of the urban women’s liberation movement are significant,with valuable and rich experience.After the establishment of New China,it is necessary for the Party to actively lead the urban women’s liberation movement,mainly reflected in the following three aspects.Firstly,women’s liberation is an important component of comprehensive human liberation.The root cause of women’s oppression and exploitation is private ownership,so women’s liberation can only choose the path of proletarian liberation.As a proletarian party,the CPC has always been an important mission to lead women’s liberation.The urban women’s liberation movement led by the Party after the founding of New China is the continuation and development of this mission.Secondly,when the People’s Republic of China was established,the legitimate rights and interests of urban women in politics,economy,culture,society,and other aspects were seriously violated,and there was an urgent need for comprehensive liberation.Thirdly,participating in social production is not only a prerequisite for the comprehensive liberation of urban women,but also a necessity for the recovery and development of urban production.The two complement and promote each other.During the period of national economic recovery,the urban women’s liberation movement was fully launched.Firstly,in terms of restoring and developing production,urban women are widely mobilized to participate in social production.The measures taken mainly include transforming labor concepts,safeguarding labor rights,establishing women’s organizations,and developing childcare services.This not only promotes the recovery and development of urban production,but also effectively promotes the process of women’s comprehensive liberation.Secondly,in terms of law,after the promulgation of the Marriage Law,the Party actively took measures to promote the promotion and implementation of the Marriage Law in cities,effectively safeguarding the marriage rights and interests of urban women.Thirdly,in terms of cultural education,after the launch of the literacy campaign,various cities extensively mobilized urban women to participate,not only ensuring women’s right to education,but also improving their cultural level.Fourthly,in terms of personal liberation,under the leadership of the Party,various cities have closed brothels,abolished the prostitution system,and transformed some prostitutes into self reliant laborers.During the First Five Year Plan period,the urban women’s liberation movement deepened and expanded.During this period,the central work of the Party and the state entered the great cause of the "First Five Year Plan" construction and socialist transformation.First,the "Second National Congress" of Chinese women established the task and policy of women’s movement in this period according to the spirit of the General line of the party.Due to the extensive publicity of the General line of the party in the transition period among urban women,the ideological awareness of urban women has been greatly improved.Secondly,in the construction of the "First Five Year Plan",various cities have not only further liberated the labor force of urban women by widely mobilizing women to participate,but also effectively promoted the process of urban women’s liberation.Thirdly,in the socialist transformation of capitalist industry and commerce,cities actively carry out the transformation of female handicraftsmen,female businessmen,and their families.In addition,various cities have extensively mobilized women to participate in the universal suffrage movement,which not only effectively guarantees the political rights and interests of urban women,but also promotes the process of urban women’s liberation movement.During the "Second Five Year Plan" period,the development of urban women’s liberation movement entered a "new stage".During this period,the comprehensive construction of socialism became the central task of the Party and the state.Firstly,in order to guide women to better build socialism,the "Three Major Committees" of Chinese women have established a new women’s work policy of "building a country through diligence and frugality,and keeping a family through diligence and frugality".With the widespread mobilization of various city women’s federations,urban women actively implement the "Two Diligence" policy,which not only enhances their ideological awareness and improves their quality of life,but also promotes China’s socialist construction.Secondly,after the new system of people’s commune was established in cities,the commune actively mobilized women members to participate in the socialist construction.While urban women were more widely and deeply liberated,it also caused different degrees of physical and mental damage to urban women.During the three-year adjustment period,the urban women’s liberation movement further developed.Firstly,effectively understand the prominent issues in women’s work.Under the influence of the comprehensive adjustment of the national economy,the All China Women’s Federation has carried out a large amount of investigation and research work.Through investigation and research,the prominent problems in women’s work are the excessive pursuit of socialization of household chores,the lack of women’s protection mechanisms,and the prevalence of the "Five Winds".Secondly,there has been a significant adjustment in women’s work.For example,re establishing the "two diligence" policy for women’s work,establishing and improving urban women’s protection mechanisms,vigorously adjusting urban collective service undertakings,reasonably regulating the number of urban women’s population,and actively promoting and implementing family planning policies.Thirdly,the rectification has achieved significant results and effectively promoted the liberation of urban women.The achievements and experiences of the urban women’s liberation movement from the establishment of New China until the Cultural Revolution.During this period,under the strong leadership of the Party,with the unremitting efforts of the government and the All China Women’s Federation,as well as the widespread participation of urban women,the urban women’s liberation movement achieved remarkable achievements,mainly manifested in the significant economic liberation of urban women,the unprecedented improvement of their political status,the significant improvement of their cultural level,and the significant improvement of their social status.During this period,the urban women’s liberation movement provided valuable historical experience for the Party to carry out women’s work in the new era,mainly including adhering to the Party’s comprehensive leadership over the women’s liberation movement,focusing on and serving the central work of the Party and the country.The development of the women’s liberation movement requires multiple collaborative efforts,widely mobilizing women to participate in the liberation movement,and fully safeguarding and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of women,The women’s liberation movement should be in line with objective reality,and investigation and research should be conducted to carry out the movement.