Rights of women workers

I have found it more and more difficult to write on issues about gender equality, even as March 8, International Women's Day, is approaching and when many of my colleagues believe it is only natural that I should write something.

Yes, there is a lot to write about. For women's political participation, the media has celebrated the fact that women deputies to the new 11th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, now account for 21.33 percent, an increase of 1.09 percentage points over the 10th NPC. The new national committee of China's top political consultative institution, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, has also seen an increase, by 1 percentage point, of women members.

As both the NPC and CPPCC are in session this week, we are hearing women NPC deputies and CPPCC members voice their views and suggestions on a host of issues, most of them concerning our country's social and economic development as a whole.