Housewives

After the founding of the Republic of China in 1911, these norms were gradually loosened and many women were able to enter the workforce. Shortly thereafter, a growing number of females began to be able to attend schools; China's literacy rate rose to 85% for females in just a few years time. Starting with the rule of the People's Republic of China in 1949, all women were freed from compulsory family roles. During the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, some women were required by the government to do heavy work that they were not physically suited for. This policy was later abolished.
In modern China, housewives are no longer as common, especially in the largest cities and other urban areas. Nearly all women work simply because one person's income is insufficient to support the family, a decision made easier by the fact that it is common for Chinese grandparents to watch after their grandchildren before they are old enough to go to school or are very young. Nonetheless, the number of Chinese housewives has been steadily rising in recent years as China's economy expands.