They tend to be interrupted only by a short period of maternity leave or by unemployment. There are several related reasons for Chinese women’s high participation rate in the labour market. One is that participation in employment is seen as an important indicator of women’s liberation and independence by the Chinese State. Another reason is that the socialist Government’s economic policy that favoured full employment with low wage and low inflation, particularly during the State-planned economy period (1949–1978), necessitates dual wages to support a family (Cooke, 2007).