Women in Chinese Higher Education: Educational Opportunities and Employability Challenges

Abstract

This study examines the rapidly expanded educational opportunities and consequent employability challenges to women in Chinese higher education over the past two decades of China’s rapid economic development and education development. The first part of the study discusses the impressive progress in women’s attainment, access and performance in higher education. Though women students have now become a majority in higher education in China and overall performed better than male students in universities and colleges both in learning behaviour and outcomes, a principal challenge remains in terms of persisting gender inequality in graduate employability. The latter part of the study presents both quantitative and qualitative research findings about the trends, issues and concerns of gender inequality in graduate employability in relation to the relevance and responsiveness to higher education in China. The study concludes with consideration of the wider implications for women in education, the work place and in society at large. The study integrates research literature and data on China’s policy-making, national statistics, national surveys and international study of women’s development and higher education development in China.