How does the status of women in Tang and Song China compare/contrast with the status of women in other societies.

The women
of the Tang and Song Dynasties held a somewhat higher social position than previous dynasties
and their contemporaries in other places. These women still had a lower status than men, but
they had certain rare privileges as well. However, it is important to keep in mind that these
privileges rarely extended to the peasantry.

For instance, during the Song
Dynasty, empress dowagers were still involved in the affairs of state and domestic policies.
They sometimes used this influence to promote the rights of women. Women emperors even continued
under the Tangs, most notably with Wu Zetian, who raised the status of noble women in China.
During the Tang Dynasty, women were allowed to hold certain positions within the government
bureaucracy....