China Scores New Achievements in Women's Cause

[Photo by Zhang Jiamin/Women of China]

The 13th National Women's Congress of China played an important role in uniting and leading Chinese women in devoting themselves to the building of a modern socialist country, in all respects, and in striving to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In the past five years, China has made significant achievements in women's cause.

All-Round Progress in Women's Development

Women's health has continuously improved in China. The average life expectancy of Chinese women now exceeds 80 years, and the maternal mortality rate has dropped to 15.7 per 100,000. The country has continued to improve the full life-cycle health services of women.

Chinese women now have greater access to higher quality and more diversified education. China has basically eliminated the gender gap in compulsory education, and more than half of the students in higher education are girls. The number of women receiving vocational education has witnessed a remarkable increase. The availability of "Internet plus education" has helped more women grasp educational opportunities, and improve themselves. 

Chinese women have been making greater contributions to high-quality development. They now account for more than 40 percent of the total employed population, and about 45.8 percent of China's sci-tech workers are women. Additionally, women now make up about one-third of the people working in the digital trade, e-commerce and livestreaming sectors.

Mobilizing Women to Work Hard for New Achievements

Under the Women's Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation, nearly 1 million women sci-tech workers have been participating in various activities designed to deliver science and technology services to people in rural China. The activities have benefited more than 18 million people.

Under the Women's Action for Poverty Alleviation, training has been provided to 7.6 million people, and that training has helped more than 4 million disadvantaged women improve their income and shake off poverty.

Under the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization, women have become fully involved in the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. The women's campaign focusing on grain production and food conservation has been implemented across the country. More than 8 million women have received training under the project aimed at enhancing rural women's overall qualities.

Under the Women's Action for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, various women-oriented competitions on entrepreneurship, innovation, handicrafts and household management have been held, and more than 3,000 entrepreneurship and innovation-incubation platforms have been established. More than 171 billion yuan (US $23.75 billion) in loans have been granted to women, and those loans have helped millions of women create a better life through hard work.

Fostering Stronger Family Ties, Values, and Traditions

The Family Happiness and Well-Being Campaign and Looking for the Most Beautiful Family and Five-Virtue Family activities have been implemented across the country. Some 14.84 million households have been named most beautiful families, and 5.58 million households have been named five-virtue families.

Efforts have been made to build a guidance system for family education that serves both urban and rural areas. More than 530,000 family education service centers and 482,000 members of family education guidance teams have played proactive roles in improving the mechanism that enhances school-family-community cooperative education. More than 640 million people have participated in various activities, such as parent-child reading activities.

Achievements in Protecting, Caring for Women, Children

The ACWF has participated in the drafting and revising of the Civil Code and the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women.

The ACWF and provincial-level women's federations have contributed to the formulation and amendments of more than 2,500 laws or policies concerning the protection of women's rights and interests.

The Spring Bud Project, launched by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund (CCTF), has provided financial and other forms of assistance to 4.09 million girls in their education. In addition, an increasing number of women have been benefiting from charitable projects. Such projects include the free breast and cervical cancer screening for rural women, the Health Express for Mothers, the Postal Parcels for Mothers, the Water Cellar for Mothers and the @Her Entrepreneurship Plan. 

There are 350,000 women volunteer service teams across China, with more than 24 million volunteers carrying out various services in urban and rural areas.

Women's Federation Reform Strengthened 

Village- and community-level women's committees have been transformed into women's federations. A total of 1.08 million women's groups, and 900,000 women's homes and microhomes, have been established. 

Efforts have been made to establish various women's organizations. The number of group members associated with women's federations at or above county level has reached about 9,000. Women's federations, at all levels, have fostered and strengthened connections with nearly 60,000 women's social organizations. 

More than 5 million cadres and members of executive committees of women's federations, at all levels, have received training, and they have participated in various activities to serve women, and to help women solve problems. There are about 7 million executive members of the women's federations working at the grassroots level and serving people across the country. 

Standing at the new, historical starting point, Chinese women's cause has embarked on a new journey, in the new era. Women's federations, at all levels, will perform their work with pioneering and innovative spirit, and they will push for their reforms. Chinese women will strive for excellence, and they will endeavor to make contributions to the building of a modern socialist country, in all respects, and to the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. 

(Sources: People's Daily and Xinhua / Translated by Women of China)