A Discussion On The Issue Of Women's Occupation In Women Monthly

Women Monthly was one of the most important female periodicals in 1930 s,which started publication on March 8th,1933 at Shanghai.This magazine took "publishing women's works,providing the woman reading" as its aim,always voicing opinions and discussing social issues from the feminine perspective.At that time,Journal of Women,a preceding women's magazine from the Commercial Press,had been stopped publication at 1931.Meanwhile,the later famous magazine,Women's Life had not been published.Therefore,the publication of Women Monthly had gained comprehensive attention in the women and supporters of women's movements.Women Monthly came as Chinese political situation changed into Anti-Japanese War from a decade of Civil War and the ethical contradiction between China and Japan became the main social contradiction.China was in a period of great turbulence and revolution.At that time,on the restricting effect of the feudal ethical breadwinning men and homemaking women,many women stayed at home all year round as housewives without economic income.They had no choice but to be dependent on their husbands without personal dignity and social status.At the end of19 th century and the early period of 20 th century,modern Chinese intellectuals and social improvers began to focus on female issues under the influence of Western feminist theory.A small portion of women came out of their families,into the society.In 1930 s,Chiang Kai-shek launched New Life Movement the country,The movement was implemented nationwide,set off a retro countercurrent called new understanding wives and loving mothers,insisting that women should stay at home,which had aroused great concern among progressive women in the women circle.This caused a great polemic on women movement's trend,namely,"women should stay at home" or "women should work at society",which became a hot social issue.According to statistics and analysis on articles about female occupation from Women Monthly,the paper analyzes its positive role in promoting women vocational development and economic independence,and investigates professional women's family and social status,in order to reveal 1930s' women self-liberation and social liberation in a unique perspective.