China is promoting gender equality and child protection in the field of international investment and trade by reducing poverty and employment prejudices against women and enhancing supervision to prevent illegal child labor.

At an online event on the sideline of the 50th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday, Chen Dapeng, vice-president of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, said that promoting gender equality and empowering women are important targets in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which have been stressed by the Chinese leadership many times in recent years.

He said that the development of China's textile and apparel industry has given strong support to the improvement of women's social status.

"The textile industry is a traditional pillar industry of China, which also shares quite strong competitiveness in the international market. We have offered jobs to over 20 million people domestically, with 60 percent being women," he said. "Women workers also make up the majority at many overseas factories and companies that we've invested in overseas."

He raised concerns that as the world economy is in a downturn, with the global market and supply chains hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, women and children may experience a bigger impact.

"It's a challenge we will all meet to build an inclusive and sustainable industry and company cultures. We will also continue to help eliminate poverty and employment prejudices to improve women's leadership in the future in cooperation with other companies," he said.

Lin Jialei, an officer from the UN Women China, said at the online event that the global community has made some international conventions and commitments to protect women's rights, such as the Women's Empowerment Principles, jointly established by the UN Global Compact and UN Women in 2010. She said that the seven principles included guidance to companies on protecting gender equality and women's empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and also in the community.

She said that it's responsible for businesses to focus their attention on some disadvantaged groups and those being marginalized.

(Source: China Daily)