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Calls for sex parity in retirement age causes fierce debate
Source: Xinhua |
March 16, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FOR Chinese feminists who have campaigned for more parity between the sexes in the workplace, a recent call for equality may have trapped them in dilemma.
"I suggest the government adjust the early retirement age of women, which has made us politically and economically unprivileged," said Xu Chonghua, female deputy from Anhui Province, at the nation's top legislative meeting in Beijing.
China allows female cadres to retire at 55 and women workers at 50, five years earlier than men. But Xu deemed this gender difference stipulated by a 1978 statute to be dated and problematic.
"Take female officials," she said. "Earlier retirement brings down the age cap on promotion. So a woman in her fifties, the golden age for a politician, already has her nose pressed on the glass ceiling," said Xu.
"Women who retire early also have their pension and welfare benefits shortened as a result of a shorter length of service," Xu added.
Xu's proposal to either delay women's retirement age or make the age the same as men's, followed a statement by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MHRSS), which said an extensive review of women's retirement age was underway.
The statement set off a fire storm of controversy and the debate over parity in retirement age has ranged from online forums to the Great Hall of the People where the National People's Congress was holding its annual session.
Old age looms
Many sociologists echo Xu's suggestion, arguing that restoring equality in the retirement age is becoming imperative as the Chinese society quickly ages.
"Given women's longer life expectancy, the current retirement age is just too low," said Xia Xueluan, professor of sociology at Peking University.
The later retirement age would mean more workers for a longer period at a time when the labor pool is shrinking. It would also help women financially by providing longer pension benefits.
Yin Weimin, minister of human resources, said recently the country's pension system is now facing mounting pressures from the ballooning elderly population.
Yin said the number of Chinese above age 60 reached 170 million this year, or 12.8 percent of the total population. United Nations data predicts that 30 percent of the world's population will be older than 60 by 2050.
But while China is on its way to becoming the world's most elderly society, Chinese women can stop paying premiums and leave their jobs with full pension at a young age compared to women in other countries. For example, women in Italy cannot receive a full pension until age 60 and in the United States they must be 67.
Song Meiya, a feminist activist at Modern Women Newspaper, said that since the retirement age was set at an early stage of modernization, it showed concern for laboring women.
"But with the age of brain power, the role of brawn has dropped in society and women in many occupations work no differently from their male colleagues," said Song.
Reality bites
The proposal to delay retirement has been fiercely criticized by many pragmatists. On the Internet, opposition runs high over the potential increase in premium payments and the fact that older women will occupy jobs wanted by young people.
Xiao Hongjuan, one female deputy from Hubei Province, said delayed retirement proposal is only for women working in an office, while females doing manual labor may feel just the opposite.
"Many of my co-workers on the assembly line are praying for an earlier retreat, as their increasing age and declining health prevent them from performing well at work," said Li Hongjin, a textile worker and a deputy from Hubei.
Experts say that the divide in public opinion suggests that the real problem behind this debate is the widening income gap.
"If the payment and welfare at work are satisfactory, why are so many people so eager to retire?" asked Wang Jianqiang, a researcher with Hebei Academy of Social Sciences.
"The fact is that the work benefits for female workers are far lower than for female cadres. That's why they respond to the retirement issue so much differently," said Wang.
"I suggest the government adjust the early retirement age of women, which has made us politically and economically unprivileged," said Xu Chonghua, female deputy from Anhui Province, at the nation's top legislative meeting in Beijing.
China allows female cadres to retire at 55 and women workers at 50, five years earlier than men. But Xu deemed this gender difference stipulated by a 1978 statute to be dated and problematic.
"Take female officials," she said. "Earlier retirement brings down the age cap on promotion. So a woman in her fifties, the golden age for a politician, already has her nose pressed on the glass ceiling," said Xu.
"Women who retire early also have their pension and welfare benefits shortened as a result of a shorter length of service," Xu added.
Xu's proposal to either delay women's retirement age or make the age the same as men's, followed a statement by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MHRSS), which said an extensive review of women's retirement age was underway.
The statement set off a fire storm of controversy and the debate over parity in retirement age has ranged from online forums to the Great Hall of the People where the National People's Congress was holding its annual session.
Old age looms
Many sociologists echo Xu's suggestion, arguing that restoring equality in the retirement age is becoming imperative as the Chinese society quickly ages.
"Given women's longer life expectancy, the current retirement age is just too low," said Xia Xueluan, professor of sociology at Peking University.
The later retirement age would mean more workers for a longer period at a time when the labor pool is shrinking. It would also help women financially by providing longer pension benefits.
Yin Weimin, minister of human resources, said recently the country's pension system is now facing mounting pressures from the ballooning elderly population.
Yin said the number of Chinese above age 60 reached 170 million this year, or 12.8 percent of the total population. United Nations data predicts that 30 percent of the world's population will be older than 60 by 2050.
But while China is on its way to becoming the world's most elderly society, Chinese women can stop paying premiums and leave their jobs with full pension at a young age compared to women in other countries. For example, women in Italy cannot receive a full pension until age 60 and in the United States they must be 67.
Song Meiya, a feminist activist at Modern Women Newspaper, said that since the retirement age was set at an early stage of modernization, it showed concern for laboring women.
"But with the age of brain power, the role of brawn has dropped in society and women in many occupations work no differently from their male colleagues," said Song.
Reality bites
The proposal to delay retirement has been fiercely criticized by many pragmatists. On the Internet, opposition runs high over the potential increase in premium payments and the fact that older women will occupy jobs wanted by young people.
Xiao Hongjuan, one female deputy from Hubei Province, said delayed retirement proposal is only for women working in an office, while females doing manual labor may feel just the opposite.
"Many of my co-workers on the assembly line are praying for an earlier retreat, as their increasing age and declining health prevent them from performing well at work," said Li Hongjin, a textile worker and a deputy from Hubei.
Experts say that the divide in public opinion suggests that the real problem behind this debate is the widening income gap.
"If the payment and welfare at work are satisfactory, why are so many people so eager to retire?" asked Wang Jianqiang, a researcher with Hebei Academy of Social Sciences.
"The fact is that the work benefits for female workers are far lower than for female cadres. That's why they respond to the retirement issue so much differently," said Wang.
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