China's largest non-governmental women's organization, the All China Women's Federation (ACWF), hosted a reception at the Great Hall of the People today to mark the 90th anniversary of International Women's Day and the 5th anniversary of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women.

Peng Peiyun, vice-chairman of the Chinese National People's Congress Standing Committee and president of ACWF, extended warm greetings to "all sisters and friends" around the world on behalf of the Chinese government and the ACWF at the reception, which was attended by over 1,500 Chinese and foreign women delegates.

Peng noted that in the past 90 years, remarkable achievements have been made in the course of international women's emancipation. The Beijing Declaration and the Platform of Action adopted at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing 1995 greatly pushed forward the international women's movement.

She said that based on the state policy of integrating gender equality into social development, the Chinese government formulated and carried out the National Program for the Development of Chinese Women (1995-2000).

To date, the main objectives of the program have nearly all been accomplished, leading to the improvement of the overall quality of Chinese women.

According to Peng, women employees now account for 46.7% of the total workforce, and 39.3% of professionals and technicians in state enterprises and agencies are women. In the Chinese Academy of Sciences and China Academy of Engineering, there are 70 women academicians, accounting for 6% of the total.

Peng stressed that in the new century, China will continue to uphold the basic state policy of equality between women and men and to further advance the overall quality of women. She also said the ACWF will actively promote cooperation between women on the two sides of the Taiwan Straits.