A chain of schools in China is designed for men to send their wives to learn “women’s virtues” — daily tasks such as household chores and the value of obedience.
The original institute in northern China was set up by Kang Jinsheng, who was imprisoned for murder almost 30 years. Inspired by teachings on “Chinese traditional cultural values,” Jinsheng opened the Fushun Traditional Values Association in the northern Liaoning province in 2011.
He has since established three other branches across China. The training centers teach women that career and femininity do not mix, as well as chastising them for wearing makeup and telling them they will die if they have sex with more than three men, the BBC reports. The women reportedly rise daily at 4:30 a.m. and begin eight hours of intense household chores.
The original Fushun school was forced to close earlier this month after videos of lectures at the institute began doing the rounds on Chinese social media, alerting the authorities.
“No matter what my husband says, I will always respond with ‘Yes,’ ‘OK,’ and ‘Right away,'” says one female instructor shown in the video, which was posted by new media outlet Pear Video.
In another clip, a male instructor explains how “well-behaved” women should not have full-time jobs. “Successful career women always meet unfortunate ends,” he says.
City officials reacted quickly, ordering the immediate closure of the six-year-old institute, according to The Telegraph UK.
In an official statement, Fushun Education Department said the extreme teachings “went against socialist core values” and that it would “stop any phenomenon that violated the core value of socialism.”
Local media reported that officials had allowed the schools to be set up as an “association” but had not been given permission to teach students.
Other core messages drilled into the women included:
- That they would lose their virtue if they ordered takeout food
- That they should stay at the bottom level of society and shouldn’t attempt to move up
- That they must always obey the orders of their fathers, husbands and sons
- That they must never fight back when their husbands are beating them
The Global Times reported that “instead of promoting gender equality, these schools tell students that ‘a woman should respect her father, husband and son unconditionally’ and that ‘women should be subordinate to men.’ ”
Some women were sent by their husbands, while others were sent by company bosses.
An employee told The Global Times that the leaked video was a “misinterpretation” of what they taught at the institution.
“The school has been open for seven or eight years, and is free of charge,” the employee said.
“People who receive an education here are always grateful to us.”