In Asia, gender roles have evolved as a result of both economic and political factors. The communist party in China, for example, put out the idea that "women hold up half the sky" as a maxim for absolute gender equality. This was a sharp change from past gender role definitions, where women were encouraged to be housebound, domestically-talented and decorative creatures. The effects of this evolution of gender roles has been seen across the region, where women are fully engaged in the economic process and strong female personalities thrive alongside a culture that endorses strong male personalities as well.