Gender discrimination and sexism in employment recruitment are widespread in China, and an example of it was again seen in a recent job advertisement. According to a report by South China Morning Post, a job advertisement in China seeks female candidates with "good figure" and "good facial features" for a clerical role that requires them to wait on important officials.
The report added that China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group, a subsidiary of China's state rail operator, had put out the advertisement in southeastern China's Jiangxi last month. The role description said the successful applicant was expected to wait tables and that only good-looking women could apply.
"Female. Good facial features. Good figure. College degree and above. Preferably a fresh graduate," it read, offering a monthly salary of 4,000 yuan (Rs 47,479).
The sexist and discriminatory ad triggered a backlash after screenshots of the ad went viral on social media. Many said that women are still subjected to sexual objectification in mainland China.
After receiving criticism, the company deleted the ad and apologised for, "failing to organise the language in advance and using inappropriate words in the job notice".However, the company explained its reasoning behind the ad which generated more controversy. Describing the reason for the "special requirements", it said it needed a woman to "serve tea to visiting officials and inspectors".
According to South China Morning Post, China in 2019, passed a law explicitly prohibiting gender discrimination in job listings, but it has remained a widespread problem in the country. A few days back, a 50-year-old Chinese flight attendant was fired for being 'too old' at the same company where she worked for over six years.
After getting fired from her job, interestingly, she became an inspiration on social media. She received multiple job opportunities from three overseas airlines that do not have a staff age limit. Chinese airlines do not hire women flight attendants over the age of 40. If they reach this age, they are assigned to other roles, according to South China Morning Post.
