Improvements to the Law on the Protection of Rights and
Interests of Women (commonly known as the Women's Law) and the Law
on the Protection of Minors have been included in the legislative
plan of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC)?Standing
Committee. Related articles for the social security, civil service
and farmers' rights laws are also being drafted.
The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF)
submitted its draft amendments to the Women's Law to the State
Council at the end of last year.
The amendments include adding the national policy of gender
equality into the law's General Principles, clarifying enforcement,
reinforcing the responsibilities of governmental departments and
standardizing the function of the ACWF. It also specifies the ratio
of female candidates to serve as People's Congress deputies.
The amended law, if passed, will clearly forbid domestic
violence and sexual harassment of women, and will provide important
supplements to women's rights in labor, social security and
contracting land.
In 2004, the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council
worked on a series of laws and regulations closely related to women
and children's rights.
Also last year, the Supreme People's Court completed the second
part of its judicial interpretation of the Marriage Law, while the
Ministry of Labor and Social Security, with suggestions from the
All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), helped to
ensure that the Regulations on Supervision of Labor Security
include sections enhancing the protection of women workers through
stricter supervision of employers.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) included the protection of
women's rights in its guidance of the building of democracy in
rural areas. Hunan,
Henan,
Gansu
and Zhejiang
provinces, the Tibet
Autonomous Region and Chongqing
Municipality all promulgated local regulations setting out
quotas for inclusion of women in village committees and as
delegates. The Supreme People's Court addressed the issue of rural
women's rights in land contracting and related disputes.
The MCA also drafted its Rules on Helping Vagrant Children and
issued a policy statement on providing educational assistance to
such children. The Supreme People's Court handed down an
interpretation on handling criminal cases involving minors.
The State Population and Family Planning Commission, together
with the Finance Ministry, launched a program to encourage and
reward rural families who adhere to the family planning policy and
have female children. The commission is also cracking down on fetal
gender identification for non-medical purposes in an effort to halt
the growing gender imbalance.
(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting, February 28, 2005)