CHINA> Human Rights Progress
Full Text: National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010)
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-13 15:08

(2) Women's rights

The state will continue its efforts to realize the goals stated in the Program for the Development of Chinese Women(2001-2010), promoting gender equality as well as guaranteeing women's legitimate rights and interests.

- Increasing women's participation in the management of state and social affairs. People's congresses, political consultative conferences and local governments at all levels should have at least one female member in their leadership. Women should be present in at least 50 percent of the government leadership of central government ministries, provincial governments(governments of autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) and city governments(governments of prefectures and leagues). The proportion of female civil servants in the leadership of departments and divisions will be increased in government bodies above the city(prefecture) level. At least 20 percent of the reserve cadres at provincial, city and county levels should be women. The proportion of women civil servants in state organs at all levels will be increased, and in professions and industries where women are in the majority the number of women holding managerial posts should be in an appropriate proportion to the number of total women workers. An appropriate number of women members will be included in community committees and village committees.

- Guaranteeing equal right for women in employment and their access to economic resources. Gender discrimination is prohibited in the recruit of new workers and staff. Special provisions for the protection of women will be included in job contracts and collective contracts, and special labor protection measures for women will be improved. The coverage of maternity insurance for urban female employees will reach 90 percent. The membership and legal rights of women in rural collective economic organizations will be guaranteed, and local practices against related laws or regulations must be corrected to ensure that women enjoy equal land rights and other property rights with men.

- Guaranteeing women's right to education. The net enrollment rate of school age girls will reach 99 percent, and the proportion of girls staying in elementary school for five years will reach 95 percent. The gross enrollment rate of female students in junior high schools will reach 95 percent; that in senior high schools, 75 percent; and that in institutions of higher education, 15 percent. The literacy rate of adult women will be raised to 85 percent, and that of young and middle-aged women, 95 percent. Teachers' training programs should include education on gender awareness.

- Guaranteeing women's reproductive rights and improving maternity health care services. Information and education on family planning and reproductive health will be provided for women, who enjoy equal rights in family planning with men. Information on contraception and reproductive health services will be provided for women to choose, according to their individual conditions, safe, effective and appropriate contraception methods. By 2010, the coverage of maternity health care services in urban and rural areas will exceed 90 percent and 80 percent, respectively. The dissemination rate of knowledge on reproductive health and family planning for women of childbearing age will reach 80 percent. In rural areas, the rate of women giving birth in hospitals will reach 90 percent. In remote areas where hospitalization for lying-in women is hard to achieve, the utilization rate of new delivery methods will reach 95 percent. Complications caused by birth control surgery should be controlled under one per thousand.

- Preventing and cracking down on the crimes of abducting and trafficking in women. The Action Plan to Crack Down on the Abduction and Trafficking in Women and Children(2008-2012) has been promulgated and implemented, and an inter-ministry joint conference system of working units will be established to prevent and crack down on the crimes of abducting and trafficking in women and children, as well as to rescue and resettle those who have been abducted.

- Prohibiting all forms of domestic violence against women, exploring and establishing a working mechanism that combines prevention, prohibition and assistance in the fight against domestic violence.

- Adopting forms of management appropriate for women convicts. The emphasis will be placed on enhancing the ability of female convicts to get jobs after they return to society through training courses in professional skills.