Title: Narratives of Race and Nation: Women's Suffrage in Early Twentieth Century China.Submitted by: Louise Edwards, Australian Catholic UniversityThis paper will explore the manner in which Chinese women's suffrage activists employed racialising narratives during their campaigns to win equal political right with men in the early part of the twentieth century. Internationally, racialising narratives have been fundamental to the women's suffrage cause. As women sought to be included as "voters" they challenged more than just the distinctions between the genders. The suffrage activists challenged traditional notions of class relations and also brought into sharp relief the racial boundaries implicit in governance. This was particularly evident in nation-states formed through colonisation such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA (see for example the studies by Patricia Grimshaw). The women's suffrage movement in China also deployed racialising narratives in its campaigns for gender equality. Although China did not experience colonisation or large-scale immigration, the women's suffrage activists were still able to effectively invoke narratives of race that enhanced their campaign for voting rights in the eyes of the governing male elite. Narratives of race were potent ideological weapons for mobilising public opinion around the issue of voting rights for women. This paper will provide a brief overview of the manner in which China's women's suffrage activists used narratives of race to further their cause. Return to Abstracts menuCarol Burnett Phone: 61 - 3 - 9349 1899 Email: c.burnett@asialink.unimelb.edu.au
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