ABSTRACT
There is a perception that the gender inequality suffered by women in China and other East Asian countries is caused or exacerbated by Confucianism. So what does Confucian philosophy have to say about women in general and their education in particular? This chapter focuses on a set of Confucian classics written by women for women in imperial China. Known collectively as the Four Books for Women 女四书 (Nü Sishu) (FBW), the four books are Admonitions for Women 女诫 (Nüjie), Classic of Filiality for Women 女孝经 (Nü Xiaojing), Analects for Women 女论语 (Nü Lunyu) and Instructions for the Inner Quarters 内训 (Neixun). Given the historical significance of the FBW, it is useful and informative to examine their educational insights and implications for education for girls today. This chapter explains that the female authors of Nü Sishu argue for the right of girls to schooling and the potential of women to become moral exemplars and sages. They challenge gender bias and stereotypes and encourage women to become leaders through mentoring and self-cultivation.
