Women' s power in Sichuan earthquake relief

What touched and moved Uncle Ng in our exchanges of observations on the terrible Sichuan earthquake was the massive and impressive participation of women in the rescue and relief operations, especially as PLA soldiers as well as doctors and nurses. He recalled that in Old China, many women could not even run for their very own lives when natural disasters struck because their feet were physically bound. Of course, he also remembered that in Old China, even warlords' and/or KMT's soldiers joined the bandits in looting orgies in disaster-ravaged areas and one of the looters' most sought after 'treasures' to be taken homes was women who could not run because their feet were bound. After that, according to him, opium traders and all types of 'holy men' would move in to operate their businesses among the poor survivors, especially orphaned youths who were malleable and illiterate women who were too old to be 'looted' by bandits and/or soldiers and carried back to their homes or camps, or sold to wealthy families or brothels.

Overcoming superstition in developing China