Gender roles changing as girls outperform boys

Traditional concepts are being overturned as the gap between the sexes narrows. Zhou Wenting reports from Shanghai.

Recently, Little Men, China's first textbook focusing on the mental health of primary school-age boys was introduced. The book sparked nationwide discussions as critics argued that certain qualities, such as perseverance and independence, should not be regarded as solely male attributes.

The book, distributed last month to male students in the fourth and fifth grades at Zhabei No 3 Central Primary School in the Jing'an district of Shanghai, stresses that boys are usually expected to display masculine traits by appearing courageous and resolute.