N China Province Steps up Efforts to Protect Women, Children

Senior officials in north China's Shanxi Province recently shared their advice and suggestions on the protection of women and children's rights and interests.

Deputies to the Shanxi Provincial People's Congress and members of the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) proposed their advice during the local so-called “Two Sessions” meetings.

Shanxi Women's Federation (SWF) President Zhang Bao, along with two vice-presidents, Li Fei and Yan Shaoquan, participated in the meetings.

Ji Ailing, a female deputy to the National People's Congress, and some presidents of grassroots women's federations, were also present at the gathering.

Participants listened carefully to reports on local government work, as well as the work of the provincial higher people's court and people's procuratorate. They also exchanged opinions on issues concerning women and children's development.

The Shanxi government has attached great importance to women's causes and social status. For example, over the past year, it has expanded investment in infrastructure and other projects concerning women and children's livelihoods, said a representative.

The work reports summarized the achievements of local courts and procuratorates in marriage and family affairs, the mediation of civil cases, as well as the construction of juvenile nursing institutions.

SWF established a mechanism last year for gender equality assessment in 11 subsidiary cities and developed local policies to protect rural women's land-related rights.

Moreover, the federation participated in amending laws involving women and children, and supervised the implementation of the Regulations Concerning the Labor Protection of Female Staff and Workers, SWF President Zhang said.

According to the report, Shanxi courts have resolved 1,862 cases concerning family and marriage conflicts, and women's federations received a total of 4,594 letters and petitions in 2017.

Relevant departments have worked together to popularize knowledge of laws, launched activities protecting women and children's legal rights and selected 100 provincial model families that help promote social security.

After the annual Two Sessions, officials will spread the conference spirit among their own work units and make new achievements in protecting women and children's rights and interests in accordance with the requirements in the work reports, attendees stated.

(Source: women.org.cn/ Translated and edited by )