On December 31, 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics published the 2022 statistical monitoring report of the China National Program for Women's Development (2021-2030). The report indicated women's health continued to improve, women's education level steadily increased, and the level of social security for women continued to improve. The protection of women's labor rights and interests was strengthened, and the legal system for safeguarding women's rights and interests was enhanced. 

In addition, maternal health continued to improve. In 2022, the maternal mortality rate was 15.7 per 100,000, 2.5 percent lower than in 2021. The maternal mortality rate in urban and rural areas was 14.3 per 100,000 and 16.6 per 100,000, respectively. 

Childbirth medical services were also enhanced. In 2022, the premarital medical checkup rate was 74.8 percent, 3.9 percentage points higher than in the previous year. The rate of maternal systematic management and prenatal screening was 93.6 percent and 88.7 percent, respectively, an increase of 0.7 and 3 percentage points, respectively. The hospital delivery rate of pregnant women remained at a high level, 99.9 percent. The postnatal visit rate was 96.5 percent, an increase of 0.5 percentage point over 2021. 

The gender gap in compulsory education was basically eliminated. In 2022, the net enrollment rate, both for girls and boys of primary school age, reached 99.9 percent, with almost no gender gap. The number of girls enrolled in compulsory education was 74,089,000, up 420,000 from 2021. That accounted for 46.7 percent of all students, nearly unchanged from 2021. 

The proportion of girls in universities/colleges remained near 50 percent. In 2022, there were 29,033,000 girls in institutions of higher learning, an increase of 1,225,000 over 2021. 

The proportion of employed women remained above 40 percent. In 2022, some 320 million women were employed nationwide, accounting for 43.2 percent of the total employed population. The number of women employed in non-private urban units reached 67,664,000, accounting for 40.5 percent of the total. 

Greater efforts were made to advance the training and selection of women cadres in government departments, and women participated extensively in corporate decision-making and management. 

A growing proportion of women were covered by basic medical insurance. By the end of 2022, some 650 million women were covered by basic medical insurance, accounting for 48.5 percent of the total, an increase of 0.2 percentage point from the end of 2021.

(Women of China English Monthly January 2024 issue)