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.

The Right for Women──After Professions for women

Woolfwas a flag of right fighter for women. Women fight for their rights genaration after genaration and devote themselves in different professions like men. It was proved that women can do every thing as they are willing,women can creat many outstanding achievements in their professional life.

Thoughts on the Protection of the Right to Health of Elderly Women from the Perspective of Human Rights

The right to health is an important right in the human rights system.The full realization of the right to health is particularly important for ensuring the dignity and senior years of older women.In the process of China’s economic and social development,the protection of the right to health of older women faces certain dilemma.China has the duty and responsibility to respect,protect and realize the right to health of older women.The country should actively fulfill its obligations and make continuous efforts to improve the protection of the right to health of older women through various practical channels and effective methods.

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

Local Legislation Giving Single Women Birth Right Caught in Debate

Chen Yifan, who is resolved to be single for life, has never expected that at 45, she can realize her dream of producing a baby for herself without having to get married—and legally.

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.

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.

Women's Liberation during the Initial Stage of P. R. China: A Human Rights Perspective

The liberation of women is the historical process in which women have striven for gender equality, freedom from oppression, confinement and discrimination, and are becoming the masters of the society and their own destinies. According to the diversity in history and the state, the process can be divided into a serial of correlated phases, with each phase focusing on different issues. Sexism order in China had remained stable in the traditional society for centuries through a set of institutions. Women had believed in a sexual order and the rules of propriety, which advocated that men were superior to women. After the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, women’s rights in politics, economy, society, and even family were recognized and secured by the Constitution and laws just as men’s during a short period. Women’s liberation in China has made a significant progress.

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.

The Development of Legal Protection of Women's Human Rights in China

The legal confirmation process of women’s human rights has been undergoing great difficulties both in the United Nations and among nations. The Fourth World Conference on Women plays a role in promoting the legal protection of women’s human rights. Currently, the protection of women’s human rights has undoubtedly become the consensus of both international and domestic law. International conventions on human rights have become an important launching area for promoting international law on women’s human rights, owing to its legal binding force and supervising mechanism established under it. Domestic law has also become the first line of defense for protecting women’s human rights. However, it needs to be pointed out that, for international conventions on human rights and domestic legislation, the cognition and acceptance of social gender conception has not only promoted changes on forms, but, more importantly, on revolution at substantial level.

Symposium Tackles Challenges to Women Workers'Rights

A symposium on how to tackle the challenges to women workers＇ rights was held in Beijing on March 8, the International Women＇s Day.

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

Human Rights of Women and A Harmonious World

Human rights of women are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights, as well as a major reflection of social civilization and social harmony. Human society is a whole consisting of men and women. The world will inevitably be a disharmonious one if women, who make up half of the total population, cannot enjoy equal human fights. Therefore, gender equality is an essential part of a harmonious society. Strengthening protection of human fights of women is absolutely necessary for building a harmonious world and the development of human fights of women will inevitably promote the building of a harmonious world.

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.

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,

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.