The Three Principles of Institutional Safeguards for Women's Participation in Legislation in China

The participation of women in legislation is an important aspect and means of safeguarding women’s rights.Feminist theory,based on criticism of both the“citizenship identity theory as rights”and the“citizenship identity theory as responsibilities,”proposes the“citizenship identity theory as subjectivity.”Observing the current practice of women’s participation in legislation in China,two institutional safeguard principles can be summarized:the“minimum proportion”and the“influence evaluation.”However,each of these principles has its inherent limitations.Therefore,it is necessary to supplement them with the principle of“subjective participation”in a reflective manner.This principle requires women to participate substantively in the legislative process as subjects,express women’s needs and demands,input women’s perspectives and experiences,and reconstruct the distribution of rights and responsibilities in the existing legislation.The three principles complement each other and work together to comprehensively constitute the institutional structure of women’s participation in legislation,thereby promoting the reproduction of corresponding action structures.

Seeking a Common Platform for Safeguarding Women’s Rights and Interests

＂Women＇s rights and interests are human rights＂ is now a concept accepted by all. The power of the law now safeguards the rights and interests of women. Recalling efforts in recent years to safeguard women＇s rights and interests, we cannot but feel gratified to know that we have made great progress.

Protection of Women's Rights Means Human Rights Protection——Marking the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

On December 18, 1979, the 34th General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women with an overwhelming majority of the votes in its favor. Over the past 30 years, the Convention has come to be known by increasing numbers of governments and people, particularly women＇s organizations. It has played an increasingly great role in protecting women＇s rights and enhancing women＇s status in society.

Legislative Protection for Women's Rights and Interests after the Founding of the People's Republic of China

The process of legislative protection for women’s rights and interests of the new China can be divided into two phases: The first phase is from the establishment of the People’s Republic of China to the adoption of the policy of reform and opening up to the outside

Protection of Women’s Rights in the National Governance of Contemporary China

The development of women’s rights is a specific field in modern national governance.The essence of women-related issues in modern times lies in the political and legal systems based on gender inequality and the unequal male-female relationship established by male chauvinism,which has further created domination over and prejudice against women.Since the founding of the New China,especially after the launch of reform and opening-up,the Communist party of China and the state have attached great importance to the protection of gender equality,bringing about the continued improvement of the protection of women’s rights.However,due to various economic and social barriers,there is still a long way to go to achieve full gender equality.To understand the issue of women’s rights from the perspective of national governance and apply the concept of modern national governance to the protection of women’s rights,it is imperative to pay great attention to the substantive equality concept in the protection of women’s right during the national governance process,take empowering women as an important approach,raise women’s gender equality awareness,and recognize,grant,enhance and guarantee women’s individual rights.

China Keen to Protect Women’s Rights, Interests——An interview with Zhao Shaohua, vice-chairwoman of the All-China Women’s Federation

EDITOR＇S NOTE： Slated for September 2008, the Tenth National Congress of the Chinese Women will review the achievements the country has made over the past five years in promoting women＇s rights and interests and formulate the targets for the protection endeavor over the next five years. The five years since the Ninth National Congress of the Chinese Women have witnessed a constant improvement in the status of the Chinese women and in their human rights conditions. Following is a transcript of an interview given our staff reporters by Zhao Shaohua, vice-chairperson of the All-China Women＇s Federation （ACWF） and member of the ACWF Secretariat, on how women＇s rights and interests are protected in China.

Development of Women's Rights in China Through A Hundred Years:From a Strong Sense of Political Responsibility to Increasingly Better Legal Protection

The founding of the Communist party of China,especially the founding of pRC and the establishment of the socialist system,opened a new chapter in the development of the Chinese women’s cause.The Communist party of China(CpC)and the Chinese government have a strong political will and a sense of political responsibility in realizing gender equality and protecting women’s rights.over the past 100 years,under the leadership of the CpC,the status of Chinese women has been fundamentally changed in the political and legal sense,and a historic breakthrough has been achieved.The development of the Chinese women’s cause has overcome many difficulties.In particular,after the launch of the reform and opening-up,on the basis of economic development,social progress,and continuous promotion of the rule of law,a set of legal protection systems for comprehensive protection of women’s rights have gradually been formed.The concept of social gender has provided new perspectives and approaches for China’s legal studies,and the process of gender mainstreaming in China has continued to deepen.China follows the socialist path of women’s cause with Chinese characteristics and continues to strengthen the legal protection of women’s rights in China,thereby making important contributions to the development of women in the world.

Improvement of Legislation System of Protecting Women’s Rights and Interests in China——Taking the Amendment of the Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests as an Opportunity

The Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and interests has been amended twice since it was promulgated 1992,and it has formed a relatively complete legislation system together with relevant laws and regulations,accumulating experience of judicial application in practice.In the current proposed amendment of the Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and interests,the main issues that should be considered are:First,the legislative purpose of this law should be reviewed to clarify the three legislative positions of the Law on Women’s Rights and interests,in terms of protection,practice and foundation.Second,it is necessary to grasp whether the text content is appropriate and rectify any defects in the existing text.Third,it should explore how to reform and implement specific systems from the micro perspective to improve the specific systems of women’s personal,property,and social rights and interests.Fourth,it should strengthen the systematic interaction with other norms at different levels and implement the principle of gender equality stipulated in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China.Fifth,attention should be paid to the necessity of invoking the Law in judicial practice,the possibility of operation and the effectiveness of enforcement.The proposed amendment of the Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and interests should also sum up the experience of local legislation and judicial decisions and improve the quality of judicial application of the law so that is truly responds to the practical needs and challenges of the protection of women’s rights and interests and the implementation of gender equality in the new era.

The International Protection of Women's Human Rights:with Emphasis on UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

1. The International Protection of Women＇s Human Rights： Emergence of CEDAW For a long time, women＇s rights have been excluded from traditional discourse on human right. The traditional discourse on human rights has developed without considering its impact upon women. Transforming this discourse to a perspective that will consider the needs and vindications of women is absolutely essential.1 Although international efforts addressing women＇s issues presumed to be associated with women began in the nineteenth century, it was in the postwar period that such activity gained a coherent focus under the auspices of United Nations.

Forum Held on Women's Labor Rights

An academic forum was held on March 22, 2005 on women’s labor rights and interests. Participating were some 30 experts from China Society for Human Rights Studies, All-China Women’s Federation, All-China Federation of Trade Unions, as well as Renmin University of China and other prestigious institutions of higher learning. Jointly sponsored by the Labor and Social Security Branch of Beijing Law Society (BLS) and Chinese Women’s College (CWC), the forum reviewed the

Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests in Macao

1. Introduction With China＇s reform and opening up, great achievements have been witnessed by all of us in the protection of human rights, the basic pursuit of which is gen- der equality. Remarkable achievements have also been accomplished in the pro- tection of women＇s rights and interests. It has been 12 years since Macao＇s mann to its motherland. Over these years, Macao, under the framework of the ＂Basic Law＂ has successfully practiced the great concept of ＂one country, two systems,

Returning Women's Rights to Human Rights——Reflection of feminism in modern China

The women＇s liberation movement in China started after the first opium war and it took shape with the aim of protecting the race and salvaging the country. Doubtlessly, the emergence of modern feminism opened the precedent in the theory of women＇s liberation in China and exerted a profound and far-reaching influence on women＇s liberation afterwards. But we must face up to the fact that there was some traps or misunderstanding of modern feminism, which were unfavorable for realizing women＇s rights and such influence was long, so much so that till today we are still seeing its existence. It is, therefore, necessary to have a full reflection of modem feminism, unveil the original meaning of women＇s rights and make women＇s rights return to human rights in order to make the development of women＇s fights continue.

Broad-based Network for Protecting the Rights and Interests of Women and Children——A story about the Women's Federation of Qinhuangdao City

The room is in utter chaos, with chairs piling up in a comer and the cable TV not connected to the power source. But one thing is put in place： a slogan on the wall ＂Creating an outstanding WFQ team for the benefit of all women and children.＂

Achievements in Safeguarding Disabled People's Rights——An Interview with Shen Zhifei,deputy general director of the China Disabled Persons' Federation

There are about 83 million disabled people in China, accounting for 6.34% of the total population, according to a national survey in 2006. As a disadvantaged group, the rights and interests of the disabled are arousing more concerns from all walks of society in the country. Following is Human Rights＇ interview with Shen Zhifei, deputy general director of the China Disabled Persons＇ Federation, on the legal guarantee of the special group＇s rights and interests, their rehabilitation, education and employment.

Protection of Rights Ensures Women's Development--An interview with Liu Qunying,chair of Fujian Women's Federation

Editor's note: Following is the interview with Liu Qunying, chair of the Women's Federation of Fuijian Province, about how women's rights and interests are protected in this southeastern province.

Revised Law Highlights Progress in Protection of Women's Rights

Since its promulgation a decade ago, the Law on Protection of Women＇s Rights and Interests of the People＇s Republic of China （hereinafter referred to as theWomen＇s Protection Law for short） has played a pivotal role in protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese women and in promoting gender equality in the country. Nevertheless, it has proved increasingly inadequate as political, economic, social and cultural changes have kept taking place in the country, along with changes in values and people＇s life styles and thinking. First of all, the subject of its enforcement is not explicitly specified,

Rights-based Approach to Journalism in Turkey

Rights-based approach to journalism aims to enable media to pursue the violations of rights by reporting them as news and, in this way, to preserve and ameliorate the rights as well as to contribute democratization. Rights-based approach to journalism in Turkey is a pretty new field of study for the researchers who study media. The examples of rights-based journalism appeared further especially in European Union membership process. Thus, the news that are sensitive to rights have found a broader place in media. In the process of E.U. membership, Turkey was required to carry out some regulations that target the betterment of human rights, women＇s rights, children＇s rights and minority rights. Making news from a rights-based perspective is an action for the announcement of people＇s struggle for their rights to the public with the aim of preventing the violations of rights.

Violence Against Women Under ISIS Occupation： A Critical Feminist Analysis of Religious and Political Factors that Commodify Women＇s Sexuality in the War Zone

Since the end of the 20th century the Middle East （ME） has witnessed increasing war and violence and proportionally more US intervention in the region. The growth of Islamic fundamentalism, A1-Qaeda and Intermediate System to Intermediate System （ISIS） would not happen without political and economic support, posing the crucial question of who benefits, both locally and globally, from the deconstruction and reconstruction of countries involved in war. US opposition toward the founding of an Islamic state obscures the economic and political benefits it gains from ongoing conflict in the region; the profitable conflict between the US and ISIS reinforces the hegemony of both powers and perpetuates Islamic fundamentalism and Salaflsm in the ME rather than promote non-patriarchal ideology. I argue that ISIS claims the purpose of war is creating an Islamic state in the region and question how this claim can be ontologically coherent with Qur＇an, the main resource of Islam. When ISIS occupies a region, destruction and sexual violence against women are the immediate results, and both are incoherent with a non-patriarchal reading of Qur＇an. In this article, I use a critical feminist perspective to explore how establishing an Islamic state goes against Qur＇an and is, therefore, un-Islamic in the way ISIS enforces its hegemony in ME. As a result, women＇s sexuality in particular has become a site of political economy, they are abused and/or sold in other markets for the use of ISIS soldiers. This specific religio-economic commodification of women is unique in the history of war, and the world is largely silent about it. There are brave Iraqi women, however, who use their potential and assets to support underprivileged women of the region. Their voices need amplification to gain support for their grassroots resistance to fundamentalist hegemony and political and economic disenfranchisement.