Shanxi: China's 1st Province to Give Women 'Menopause Rights'

New women's labor rights laws in north China's Shanxi Province will give women undergoing menopause the right to ask their employers to adjust their work to better suit their conditions.

The province's first women's labor law was passed by its local legislative body in late July and will come into force on October 1. It is the first ever law to give menopausal rights to female workers in China.

The provincial People's Congress held a press event on August 28 to explain how the regional law will be implemented and carried out.

The menopause article was added after public surveys found that there is a strong desire among women for protection of their labor rights during this transitional time in their life.

Wu Jingwen, vice-chairperson of the Internal and Legal Affairs Committee of the legislature, said that the law will be applicable to both public and private organizations.

The protections offered to female employees are basic, and cost the organizations little or nothing, said Wu.

To provide women with a better workplace, enterprises should take responsibility, raise their profile and encourage women to work positively, he added.

To ensure its enforcement, the law will stipulate that "governments above county levels should include the indicator of female employees' labor protection into the social credit system and take measures to protect their legitimate rights."

In addition, the law provides specific rights to women relating to the times when they are either menstruating, in pregnancy, during labor or breastfeeding.

Those who experience menstrual cramps can have one or two days leave; if their work requires them stand for at least four hours on end, they can take a 2o-minute rest.

For those who need to breastfeed their babies, employers should offer them breastfeeding times each day in addition to any time needed for the extra commute.

The law also requires employers to build mother-child nursing rooms for female employees.

China adopted its first national women's labor rights law in 1988, providing a series of special rights to female employees based on their physical conditions. In 2012, China revised the law, which for the first time required employers to prevent and stop workplace sexual harassment.

(Source: sxrb.com/Translated and edited by Women of China)