Henan's female deputy fights the good fight

"President Xi Jinping mentioned the green development and promoting the flow of talent between urban and rural areas which impressed me deeply," said Mai Shirui, an NPC deputy from Henan province on Friday.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joined deliberation with deputies from Henan province at the second session of the 13th National People's Congress on March 8.

Green development can improve people's physical and mental health, and add a sense of happiness in rural areas, as well as enhance prevention and treatment of pollution points in Henan to boost environment protection, said Mai.

This year, Mai plans to submit more than 30 suggestions to NPC, including on home prices, elderly care, small and medium enterprises financing and pollution prevention.

Mai said the Yellow River running through Henan province over 700 kilometers forms an important ecological protective screen in industry cluster districts, and areas with rich abundant historical cultural information.

To protect the area, Mai suggested the country should scale up support to building of ecological economy along the Yellow River in Henan, including establishing the ecological preservation area and protective forest belt, improving infrastructure, and funding and helping the protected areas, to create jobs, roads, clinics, sanitation systems and schools, and attracting immigrants to the surrounding areas.

Moreover, after support policies are launched, she wants more experts in rural areas to help people in these places develop so they can cast off poverty.

Mai, who is also a marketing manager at Xinxiang Sugar Tobacco and Alcohol Co, has aided the education of more than 300 poor children for several years, and some of them will soon graduate.

"I hope these children's life can get better after education, and help in our efforts to build our hometown," she said.

Mai has visited detention centers to meet delinquent juveniles, and provided them help.

Mai said some of the delinquent juveniles were left-behind children in rural areas; they made mistakes due to lack of educating, so she wants more experts from cities can go to villages to educate and give care to the left-behind children to help them far away from porn, gambling, drug abuse, abduction, and school bullying.

Mai has helped laid-off female workers find jobs again for more than 30 years. The woman is a key to a stable family, especially when she becomes a mother, she said.

As a female deputy, Mai said she was excited that President Xi extended greetings and best wishes to female lawmakers, political advisors and staff workers, and also to women of all ethnic groups and from all walks of life on the International Women's Day when he jointed deliberation with deputies from Henan province.