søndag 6. juni 2021

Chinese women were already discriminated in the workplace. A three-child policy might make things worse

When Janice Zhang went job hunting in March, at every interview the 33-year-oldwas asked the same question: Was she married yet? Zhang works in human resources in the Chinese city of Chengdu, so is familiar with the concerns her potential employers had in mind — because she's asked them herself. Would she be pregnant soon? How many children does she plan to have? How much maternity leave will she take? Will she quit her job after becoming a mom? 

"Having already reached my 30s, I am seen by companies as a big uncertainty — one that might get married and pregnant at anytime," said Zhang, who requested to use a pseudonym because she doesn't want to be identified by her employer.  In recent years, many women like Zhang have reported facing job discrimination based on their marital or parental status — a reflection of China's workforce gender gap, poor enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, and the impact of its two-child policy, according to a report released this week by Human Rights Watch (HRW). Now, with the Chinese government allowing all married couples to have a third child, some Chinese women are worried the discrimination will only get worse.