Women hold half the sky in China
A saying of Mao which is actually practised in China and it is particularly heart warming in our steel industry. What we usually see among men of steel is men drinking (Ok Chinese also drink), smoking and discussions of various prowesses, in China it is replaced by the feminine touch both at the shop floor and of course in sales.
A beautiful (Piao liang) woman explaining the equipment and steel making is certainly more interesting than walking through the plant with a male guide. Steel has never had any sort of appeal (apart from people like us who also dream of steel) but in China there is some beauty along with the steel.
Three cheers to China on this front as it truly democratizes the steel industry as far as gender is concerned and brings in role models for generations to follow. India, Korea, Japan….we all are being left behind. The later two are perhaps even worse. Their neighbour has borrowed their technology, innovated on it and is now even feminizing it.
Feichang Hao!!!
dtd. 17/10/2012