(File photo)

BEIJING, Sept. 22  -- Gender equality and women's development in China not only show the country's own progress, but also constitute a historical contribution made to global equality, development and peace, said a white paper issued Tuesday.

China has always upheld the constitutional principle of equality between men and women, which is also a basic state policy for promoting progress in the country and in society, said the white paper marking the 20th anniversary of the UN's Fourth World Conference on Women that was held in Beijing.

Chinese women make up one fifth of the world's total female population. Over the years China has progressively improved its laws and regulations, developed public policies, worked out development plans and pressed forward steadily with gender equality and women's development, it said.

Over the past two decades, China's national mechanism for promoting the status of women has been constantly improved to allow it to play an increasingly prominent role, it said, adding by fully utilizing government resources and effectively mobilizing social resources, the mechanism lays an important foundation for promoting gender equality and women's development.

The state has kept improving government organs for promoting the status of women, said the white paper, citing the National Working Committee on Children and Women (NWCCW) established in 1990 to organize, coordinate, guide, supervise and urge departments concerned in promoting gender equality and women's development.

Composed of leading ministerial-level members from relevant government organs, the Committee is chaired by a member of the State Council leadership.

Moreover, women's development was included in China's 10th, 11th and 12th five-year plans for economic and social development, "each time with greater emphasis, clearer goals, and more effective measures for promoting coordinated development between Chinese women and China's economy and society," it said.

The white paper said guidance has been given to local governments in actively exploring the establishment of an assessment system of laws and policies related to gender equality, so as to provide at the source a solid institutional guarantee for promoting gender equality and women's development.

In 1990, 2000 and 2010, China carried out three surveys, which fully and objectively reflected the conditions and changes in Chinese women's social status, providing valuable reference for the government to formulate policies and measures to promote women's development and gender equality.