 The Ninth Women's National Congress concludes in Beijing which elected a new leadership for the All-China Women's Federation. What are the issues confronting the Chinese women today?
From home-bounded daughters and wives to active part of social forces, Chinese women have strived hard to stand equal with men in the past over a century. But gender bias is still an obstacle for women, especially those from poor areas, to find employment or get education. Especially in the times when the jobs are difficult to find, there is call for women to come back home. But women did not keep silent. During the just ended ninth Women's National Congress, Chinese women elected their new leadership and mapped out a new plan for Chinese women to seek equality and development.
The national women's congress have called on women to play a bigger part in social development and encouraged them to confront any gender bias. The five-day event is short, but the influence might be enormous. For example, the question whether women should share the same retirement rights with men has become hot debate nationwide. More changes might soon to come as women struggling hard for their rights and interests.
This is a gathering of representatives of all Chinese women. It's also a chance to put women's issues under the spotlight.
The women's national congress has wrapped up its five-day session Tuesday. Over 1,200 delegates from all over China gathered in Beijing to discuss women's issues and elected their new leadership. Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other top government officials attended its opening ceremony to show their gratitude to women's role in society and support to the women's struggle for gender equality.
Senior government official Li Changchun congratulated the attendees on behalf of the central government and paid special tribute to doctors and nurses who fought the deadly SARS epidemic.
"In the recent arduous struggle against SARS, women played a very important role, especially those involved in the medical field," said Li Changchun, Standing Committee member of Politburo of CPC Central Committee.
The congress elected a new line-up for its leading organization, the All-China Women's Federation. Gu Xiulian, vice chairman for the Chinese top legislative body, was elected as new President, replacing his predecessor Peng Peiyun. She stated her commitments to women's causes.
“The new leading body will devote ourselves to serve women around the country. Our most important work is to call on all the Chinese women to participate in the endeavour to build a well-off society and achieve the country's modernization. In this way, women and children's causes will achieve better development and their interests will be safeguarded,” said Gu Xiulian, president of All-China Women's Federation.
Among the over 1,200 attendees are the elite from all sectors of society. Some are household names like Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue. She's one of the newly elected eight executive committee members.
The All China Women's Federation was the nation's top women's organization founded in 1949. The new line-up has pledged to create 2 million jobs for women in the next five years. According to the latest statistics from the women's federation, female account for about 38 percent of total workforce. But the grimy employment in the country and gender bias in employment put women into disadvantaged group.
"In the past few years, women associations at various levels have worked with government closely to help more women get employed or reemployed. On the one hand, we are in close contact with people and conduct in-depth researches to find out employment related problems. On the other hand, we try hard to provide employment services," said Peng Peiyun, former ACWF president.
In the past five years, China's women associations across the country have provided small loans for women to start their own businesses, which in turn create more job opportunities for women. Forty-one-year-old Ma Suzhen from northeast Liaoning province is one of the beneficiaries of small-loan program.
Ma Suzhen was laid off in 1995 and started a small slipper making business in 2000. Their equipment consisted of several old sewing machines in their home.
"At first, we did almost everything by hand. We could only make a hundred pairs a day. As the equipment are not enough, we can't meet demand of market," said Ma Suzhen.
Lack of money meant the business was in danger of collapsing. So Ma Suzhen turned to local women's federation, who provided her an interest free loan of 20,000 yuan.
“As a laid-off worker, she managed to create jobs for other laid-off women. We believe she has the capacity to pay back the loans," said Zhang Zhuo, president of Fushun Women's Federation.
The loan helped Ma Shuzhen overcome her difficulties. The factory now has 40 workers. All of them laid-off from other jobs. In Liaoning province, re-employment loans have been given to more than 200 small businesses, creating job opportunities for nearly 10,000 laid-off women.
While advocating equal employment right for women, some delegates used the forum to press for equal retirement rights for women. They say although the Chinese constitution has gender equality written into basic national policy, some of the country's labor regulations are biased against women. For example, women civil servants and government employees must retire at the age of 55. Male employees can keep working until 60. The five-year difference means a woman's pension is six percent lower than her male equivalent.
“As women can not work straight for 35 years, they can't get pension as high as men. This does not demonstrate equality between men and women,” said Han Rongdai, Beijing delegate.
Arguing women are not enjoying the rights to work as long, and retire as handsomely as their male counterparts, some delegates are committed to changing the retirement regulations in the next five years.
Domestic violence is another major issue raised at the women's congress. For thousands of years in history, men played the dominant role in both the family and society, while women were expected to be subordinate to them. As a result, women tended to stay quiet about the high levels of domestic violence they were subject to. Eight years has passed since the Seventh World Women's Conference first put forward the concept of domestic violence in 1995. Women have increased their awareness against domestic violence. Now an increasing number of female victims of family violence are speaking out. But the Federation acknowledged it has limited power in protecting women's legal rights and interests.
“Ethnic obligation should be combined with the legal system. The women's Federation focuses more on raising social awareness of domestic violence, and preventing its occurrence. We still rely on the police, procurator, and courts to protect women's rights and interests,” said Deng Li, deputy director of Dept. of Women's Rights and Interests of ACWF.
Women delegates advocated the establishment of an anti-family violence network led by governments at various levels, with participation of women's federations, law enforcement organs and communities. They believe wider participation of social forces will be effective to stop domestic violence and protect women's rights.
Besides employment and marriage issues, the All-China Women's Federation also put forward targets in other aspects of life. The federation called for women to be more active in politics and increase their education level. Gu Xiulian summarized their major tasks is to create a better life for women.
“In the first two decades of the 21st century, our major task is to create better development environment for women and children. Their equality rights and interests in politics, society and family should be respected and safeguarded,” said Gu Xiulian, president of All-China Women's Federation.
Gu Xiulian called on women's organizations at all levels to better promote women's rights and interests, and for women themselves be more self-confident and pro-active. Most women delegates are inspired by the congress and they expressed their confidence to play a bigger role in social development.
"I feel the congress is very inspiring. President Gu Xiuliang presented her report to guild women's movements for the first two decades of the 21st century. It is very significant to guide our work in the future," said Liu Aihua, a delegate.
Women in China today enjoy much more rights than their predecessors over half a century ago before New China was founded. However, a real gender equality has yet to be achieved. This women's congress not only put forward a blueprint for a better future for women, but an action plan for them to hold on the long-lasting struggle for equality and independence.
|
