Women in anglophone countries are called the word "women" which anglophones use to refer to people who generally fit the social criteria of "woman". This is why people get confused about what to call a person when they don't fit those criteria and why misgendering exists.

Colonialism definitely wasn't necessary back then. It only was for Europe, which was on the periferie of Eurasia and needed nee recourses to trade with the east. China never started colonizing as it wasn't interesting for them. They already had enough resources to survive.