ACWF President Visits Yunnan to Discuss Protection of Women's Rights and Interests

Shen Yueyue (L2), vice-chairperson of the Standing Committee of the 12th China's National People's Congress (NPC) and president of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), makes an official visit to a village committee in Jinning County of Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province, on April 14, 2015. [Yunnan Women's Federation/Tang Chuanbin]

How to further implement China's Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women and secure their legal property rights, along with helping them fight against domestic violence and other forms of crimes, topped the agenda of the official visit made by Shen Yueyue, vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the 12th China's National People's Congress (NPC) and president of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), to Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province, on April 13–15, 2015.

During her tour, Shen visited local shelter institutions for women and children, the centers for women and children's activities and local communities, where she spoke with local officials and representative women and sought their advice and opinions on the advancement of women's rights and interests at current social circumstances.

At a meeting with local senior officials, Shen gave high praise to the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Yunnan Provincial People's Government for their consistent efforts over the last several years to help women secure their rights and interests with an emphasis on law.

"Because of underdeveloped social and economic affairs and outdated traditional social conventions, women still face multiple forms of discrimination and physical violence in their daily life; therefore, there is an urgent need to make intensified efforts to further promote laws and regulations on the protection of women's rights and interests and on the implementation of gender equality," Shen said in her speech, after which she put forward several proposals to deal with the phenomenon:

One was to raise public awareness for the importance of protecting women's rights and interests, to strictly implement relevant legal regulations, and to secure women's equal access to social and economic progress. The second was to introduce harsh measures — in terms of legislation, institution-building, publicity and other similar aspects — to crack down illegal cases in connection with the violation of land rights, domestic violence, human trafficking, organized prostitution and rape against women. The third was to rally together the joint efforts of local people's congresses, governmental bodies and women's federations to cultivate a favorable environment for women's growth.

For his part, Li Jiheng, secretary of the Yunnan CPC Provincial Committee and chairperson of the Yunnan Provincial People's Congress, extended his heartfelt thanks on behalf of the local CPC provincial committee and government to the NPC and the ACWF for their consistent assistance in the advancement of women's affairs in the area, and vowed that local governmental bodies would strive for higher achievement in the protection of women's rights and interests.

Those who accompanies Shen on her official tour were Chen Xiurong, member of the NPC's Standing Committee and director of the NPC's Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee; Yang Yingnan and Zhang Bairu, vice chairpersons of the Yunnan Provincial People's Congress; and Gao Shuxvn, vice governor of the Yunnan Provincial People's Government.

(Provided by the Yunnan Women's Federation/Tang Chuanbin)