Govt fosters female power

BEIJING - The number of women in authority will be boosted over the next five years as part of package of measures to improve gender equality in the capital.

According to a new plan, female candidates will hold at least one leadership role in each government department and account for at least 30 percent of the city's representatives in the Communist Party of China, Municipal People's Congress and the Beijing municipal committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Official figures show women already make up roughly 20 percent of all officials at city-level bureaus. However, gender inequality still remains a major hurdle for those wanting to rise the ranks.