The political career of Chinese women will not be a pleasant trip although they do expect and insist upon a bright future.

The attitude of Chinese society toward women's political participation clearly is filled with doubts and prejudice. It is not easy for female officials to find the proper places for themselves inside the political arena.

In fact, the outside world is more interested in women's appearance and their marriage rather than their competence. Some people often attribute the promotion of a woman to her background or even some dubious relationship.

Chinese women in politics are also caught in a catch-22 situation: a female leader will be regarded as weak in character if she has a mild nature, yet she will be criticized for not being tender if she is as strong as the male. A capable female official is often described as "shrewish" which often terrifies others.

Female leaders often suffer more pressure than males in society. They have to meet the male standard in their work and the female standard in their homes. So almost all Chinese senior female officials will assert determination to not only be qualified leaders but also to serve as loyal wives after they come into office.

(China.org.cn by Wang Zhiyong, Zhou Jing, Yang Xi and Zhang Tingting, March 8, 2008)