As Obama pushes for gender pay equality in the United States, women in China are already on a level playing field with their male counterparts. Surprisingly after years of being second-class citizens, women in China have broken through the glass ceiling and have the same access to opportunities as men. CNN explains:
“Women in China have a lot more opportunities in business because it is ‘not gender-based, it’s merit-based,’ says one of China’s top female businesswoman.
Jennifer Li, CFO of Baidu, the world’s largest Chinese-language search engine, sometimes referred to as “China’s Google,” adds that China is a very female-friendly business environment.
‘The society is very open and many companies create a level playing field when it comes to employment,’ adds Li, who controls the corporate functions of a company worth nearly $32 billion.
According to data from Beijing-based research firm Analysys International, Baidu has secured a staggering 78% share of the world’s largest internet market — China’s 500 million internet users.
Baidu, founded by search engine expert and entrepreneur Robin Li (no relation) in 2000, employs slightly more women than men, according to Jennifer Li.
Woman at the heart of ‘China’s Google’
‘They’re very open, very communicative, very assertive and sometimes can be very aggressive, too,’ she says of Baidu’s female employees.
“These women are all women with great ambition. You can tell their focus is not about, ‘How do I fulfill a woman’s role as a mother or as a young woman trying to get married?’ They’re more thinking about their lifetime career objectives.”
