Women's congress opens in Beijing

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Women's congress opens in Beijing
+ - 083, October 29, 2008




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More than 1,400 women (and a handful of men) filled the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday for the opening session of the 10th National Women's Congress.

The five-day event, which is held every five years, serves as a platform for Chinese women from all walks of life to make their voices heard on a diverse range of political and social issues.

In an opening address made on behalf of the Politburo, He Guoqiang, head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said: "Women have always been an irreplaceable force in driving reform and development."

President Hu Jintao and several other senior figures from the Politburo also attended the opening ceremony.

Premier Wen Jiabao was absent as he is currently on a visit to Russia.

Huang Qingyi, deputy chairwoman of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), said at the opening session that over the next five years the country will put forward a range of development targets for women that aims to boost their involvement in social and economic development, and ensure their participation in national affairs.

The targets are designed to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of women are fully protected, that the national policy of equal status for men and women is fully implemented, and that the environment for women's development is optimized, she said.

Over the next five days, the congress will hear and discuss a work report by the 9th executive committee of the ACWF, deliberate and adopt amendments to the federation's constitution, and elect a new executive committee, Huang said.

Part of the duties of that committee will be to work toward increasing the number of women officials at all levels, she said.

It will also strive to ensure better mechanisms are developed to fully protect the rights and interests of women and children, she said.

ACWF Chairwoman Gu Xiulian said the federation must be involved from the very beginning in the drafting of national laws to ensure they maintain gender equity and prevent women's rights from being infringed upon.

"The projects that have been successful in enabling women to overcome gender bias and advance in their careers are those that have become part of the government's overall plan for social progress," she said.

Source: China Daily

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/6523166.html

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