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Women's Work in an Unprecedented Fine Time in China
This is a news report by our news reporter Pan Jin on our Daily on June 11. The article says a heartening situation has already appeared in women's work in China for women's roles in government administration, their rights to employment, education and public health work and their protection provided by law have been given the greatest attention by governments from central down below in town and country.
Women's work has been ushered into an unprecedented fine period of development and marked success has been achieved to that end. Following is a summary of the news report by Pan:
In the past five years since after convocation of the 4th World Women's Conference in China the Chinese Government has paid close attention to putting in force 11 major targets as those set in "Program Governing Women's Work in China". In accordance with the demand of women's work in China it has seen to it that women's roles in government administration, their rights to employment, education, public health work and their protection provided by law form five priority areas to which precedence have been be given for development. From these there have been brought about an unprecedented fine situation of women's work among various ethnic groups in China.
Women have acquired a raised status in participating in government administration and policy making and this has been on an extended scale. Various organizational departments from the central down below have worked out necessary plans and policies for training a large echelon of women cadres. Women delegates to the NPC and CPPCC and women representatives to the NCCPC have to a sizeable number accounting for 0.8%, 6% and 1%. All the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have all realized the goal to have leading members of women up to a growth of 46.47% over the past five years. Of leading teams at prefecture, city, regional, league levels in China, 94% have been staffed with at least a women cadre. Of Party and government leading teams at the county, city, district and banner levels, 91.8% have been staffed with one or two women cadres.
Women have acquired greater access to resources and employment. In the past five years, labor departments in Chines take care that "The Program for Women's Development in China" are fully carried out following which greater employment opportunities and stable work posts have been guaranteed for women employees. In 1998, female employees in China numbered as many as 340.67 million making up 48.7% of the social total, to show a 3.1% growth to a number of 332.3 million women having been re-employed prior to implementing "The Program for Women's Development in China".
Differences in the education level of two sexes have been narrowed. Meanwhile there has been seen an overall raise in the whole quality of women. Since implementation of the strategy for a thriving China through developing science and technology and "The Program for Women's Development in China" a cut has been made in the education years of men and women to a difference of 1.5 years in 1998 from 1.7 years in 1995. Within five years, women's education has achieved a raise to 6.5 years, a 0.4 percentage point raise over 1995.
It has become basically true for everyone given the right to primary service for health protection and on this basis women's health has been improved. In 1998, every thousand people had 3.6 professionals for health work, showing 0.1 person growth over 1995. Women had an obviously raised average life expectancy and to show this was an average life expectancy of 73.1 in 1998, an increase of 2.6 years over 1990.
Meanwhile a reduction has been made in the population size of rural people and relief has been provided for low-income people in towns. At present, rural poor population size in China has dropped to 34 million in 1999 from 65 million in 1995. This was also followed by a cut size of population of poor women, from a number accounting for 70% in 1995 to 60% in 1998. Up to the end of 1998, in China there are altogether 1,702 cities (counties) that have already been run with the lowest life standard guarantee system having been established. These include assistance provided for 1.84 million of poor women living below the lowest life standard in cities and towns.
All legislation to proving protection to women and children has been continuously improved and perfected, hence primarily a countrywide mechanism for protecting the rights and interests of women and children in China. In 1996, "Law for Protecting the Rights and Interests of the Old Aged" was promulgated in providing special law protection for old-aged women. In 1996-97, NPC made amendments to "Procedures of Criminal Law" and "Penalty Law" by which it added new laws for protection of the rights and interests of women and children. In some areas there have also been formulated necessary local laws and policies for ruling out and putting a stop to family brutalities. The work to amend the "Law of Marriage" has also been underway.
Special women community has received special care. For disabled women to find employment according to an appropriate proportion, the state has already specially set up special health recovery poverty relief fund, Help-disabled Fund and an insurance fund of 4.10 million to help the disabled.
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