China determines the destiny of one fifth of the world's women, and its record is impressive, the leader of a UN women's rights body said.

The country has exceeded the 2015 Millennium Development Goals for increasing the education level of girls, and it has reduced maternal mortality — accomplishments worthy of note, said Frances Raday, president of the working group on discrimination against women in law and practice under the United Nations' Human Rights Council.

Raday praised China in Beijing after her group concluded an eight-day visit.

Invited by the government, the group was in the country for the first time, but it is the fifth nation the working group has visited since it was established in 2011.

It will present its final conclusions and recommendations in its report to the UN in June.

"The working group commends the government of China and the All-China Women's Federation in their consistent efforts to improve the lives of women," Raday said.

"China has made remarkable strides in improving women's lives and has put in place a framework of law and policy to eliminate discrimination against women in the Constitution. These include the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests Law, the Marriage Law and the Promotion of Labor Law, the Labor Contract Law, amongst others."

However, issues like sexual harassment and domestic violence, remain and legislation must be implemented to allow women to take the initiative and safeguard their rights, she added.

"I believe those problems will be resolved, because they are fairly new," Raday said, adding that one of the government officials the working group talked to indicated that lawmakers are willing to observe and learn to tackle these remaining issues.

"So I think it's crucial for the whole country to learn about women rights," she added.

Raday is also a law professor at the Israel Hebrew University.

"In my academic life, I have been fighting for women's rights," she said. Raday represented female professors of medicine in their fight against mandatory retirement. Even though it took her eight years through the courts, she eventually won the case.

"Women in the 21st century face new challenges," she said.

According to the group leader, women need a society in which the value of education, health and taking care of their families are priorities. "But those are not the priorities of society under neoliberal economics, which focuses on profits," she added.

Raday suggested governments should provide more day caring facilities for children and elderly people.

"Governments should take that responsibility to free women and empower women to play their roles in the public, political and economic sphere. Otherwise women will be burdened by care duties, and will not be free to participate in the market in the way they want to," she added.

The working group also highly commended the government for introducing a minimum wage, 14 weeks paid maternity leave and for establishing a legislative framework to prevent discrimination against women in employment. However, it is concerned that there is discrimination against women in recruitment, wages, and dismissals, particularly on grounds of maternity, she said.

On Wednesday, China's first workplace gender discrimination lawsuit reached a settlement in the Haidian district court in Beijing.

A female college graduation, Cao Ju, sued Juren School, a private training institute who rejected Cao's job application on the basis that they only recruited male candidates.

The school made a formal apology to Cao and paid her 50,000 yuan ($8,180) compensation in settlement.

"This is wonderful! I will send my congratulations to Cao and her attorney Liu Minghui," Raday said, adding that she met the attorney before.

"This case is very important for other employers and employees as well. Chinese women are developing a sense of their own entitlement," she added.

Raday also addressed the issue of "comfort women", Chinese, and other Asian women, who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during World War II.

Even though the issue was not covered by the working group's trip this time, Raday said these women can take their case to the UN's working group, and they will do their best to help them.

zhaoyanrong@chinadaily.com.cn