Woman, know thy rights and use them

Women have an equal role to play in social development and should not be made to retire as civil servants at the age of 55, five years earlier than their male counterparts, say some members of the 11th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee. "Woman civil servants retiring at 55 is a terrible waste of human resources," says CPPCC member Ma Yanjun, who submitted a proposal, with 18 other members on Tuesday, to correct the imbalance.

"More woman civil servants are doctorates or have a master's degree. Which means they spend a longer time on education. This in turn means a shorter working life," she says.

On the other hand, even those "women who start work at the same age as their male counterparts get less pension because they have to retire at a younger age", says Yao Zhenwei, a member of the central committee of Jiu San Society, one of the eight non-Communist parties represented in the CPPCC and the National People's Congress (NPC). It's time this gender inequality was done away with and women's political and economic rights protected.