Shanghai Marks 20th Anniv of 4th World Conference on Women

The Shanghai Working Committee on Children and Women, along with the Shanghai Women's Federation, co-hosted a meeting on October 28, to mark the 20th anniversary of the UN's Fourth World Conference on Women and the implementation of the basic State policy of gender equality. [Shanghai Women's Federation/Yu Jieran]

The Shanghai Working Committee on Children and Women, along with the Shanghai Women's Federation, co-hosted a meeting on October 28, to mark the 20th anniversary of the UN's Fourth World Conference on Women and the implementation of the basic State policy of gender equality.

Ying Yong, deputy-secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, said in his speech that the committee and the people's government have firmly implemented the basic State policy of gender equality, attached great importance to women's development, and fully considered gender differences and women's special interests.

This work has been carried out whilst making regulations and policies, implementing women's programs, deploying working tasks, and allocating public resources to promote gender equality, said the official.

Ying spoke highly of the remarkable achievements that Shanghai has made in terms of women's development over the past two decades. The metropolis has established a law and policy system that ensures gender equality and women's development, he noted.

It has also rallied its workforce to promote the implementation of the women's development program, advancing the development of Shanghai women to the leading national level, he said.

Furthermore, the city has created a better social environment for women's development and helped women to take full advantage of their role of "holding up half the sky", he added, quoting a popular Chinese phrase.

Lastly, being a window on international exchange and cooperation, the metropolis has displayed Chinese women's development and progress to the world.

Ying stressed that gender equality and the promotion of women's development should be the responsibilities of Party committees, governments and women's federations at different levels, as well as female workers.

He encouraged attendees to learn and comprehend the spirit of President Xi's remarks at the recent Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, held in New York in September, so as to unify their thoughts and guide their work. In addition, they should implement the important spirit to promote the innovative development of Shanghai women's causes, he said.

At the meeting, Xu Feng, president of Shanghai Women's Federation, delivered a report on implementing the basic State policy of gender equality and promoting Shanghai women's overall development. She spoke about the processes that have allowed Shanghai women to participate in social and economic development and equally share the fruits of reform and development. She also spoke on promoting the implementation of the basic State policy of gender equality over the past two decades, and summed up some of the measures, practice and experiences she has encountered in the metropolis.

In the past 20 years, the Shanghai Working Committee on Children and Women and the Shanghai Women's Federation have focused on economic participation as the most basic way to promote gender equality and women's development, Xu noted.

From helping around 170,000 laid-off women find employment during the economic transformation in the 1990s, to encouraging women to participate in the practice of public entrepreneurship and innovation, the committee and federation have persistently carried out different campaigns to inspire individuals to contribute to economic transition, innovation and development in the city, said Xu in her speech.

Over the past two decades, the federation has also actively served the public, through such measures as promoting low-carbon lifestyles and establishing demonstrative housekeeping stations, to satisfy women's multiple demands, added Xu.

Furthermore, the federation has endeavored to stand for and protect women's legal rights and interests by giving great attention to legislation and the formulation of public policies. It has put forward suggestions for improvement on around 10 laws and regulations annually.

In addition, the federation has carried out its campaign of advocating and promoting family traditions, family education and civilized domestic practices to enrich women's spiritual lives.

(Provided by the Shanghai Women's Federation)