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A Chinese civil service exam training company, Huatu Education, has come under fire after its teaching material was found to contain sexist content. The controversial slogan, presented in a slideshow, read: “If you do not work hard, your daughter will be in the arms of men your age; if you work hard, you will have in your arms the daughter of men your age.”
The slogan implied that men who don’t work hard enough will see their daughters end up with older, wealthier men, while those who achieve success are entitled to marry younger women. This sparked outrage online, with many condemning the message for promoting gender bias and objectifying women. Critics questioned the values being instilled in future civil servants, with one commenter stating, "What kind of civil servants are they training if marrying younger women is seen as the ultimate goal?"
Huatu Education, based in Beijing, is one of the largest civil service exam training companies in China, with over 1,000 centres across the country.
Following the backlash, the company responded on September 13, claiming that the slogan was intended as a joke by a female teacher. They assured the public that the teacher had been asked to reflect on her mistake and promised stricter oversight of future teaching materials.
This incident is not the first time Huatu Education has been criticized for inappropriate slogans. In 2020, a training centre in Hubei province displayed a banner that read: “Become a civil servant: the world and women are in your hands.” Observers have pointed out a persistent gender bias in the company’s marketing, noting that its slogans assume civil servants are exclusively men.
Despite the company’s attempts to appeal to young people with humorous slogans, the sexist messaging has clearly backfired, drawing widespread disapproval.
Source: SCMP
