'Women's Rights Are Human Rights'

Hillary Clinton's famous remarks to the UN Fourth World Conference on Women Plenary Session in 1995 are still echoing in our ears. [Women of China]

Hillary Clinton's famous remarks to the UN Fourth World Conference on Women Plenary Session in 1995 are still echoing in our ears. Twenty years ago she stated that: "Human rights are women's rights — and women's rights are human rights. Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely — and the right to be heard."

Addressing the same issue, Song Xiuyan, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, said during her speech this March at the General Debate of the 59th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, at the UN Headquarters, New York: "(China) continuously improves the system of laws and regulations to protect women's rights … and effectively promotes women's equal exercising of their democratic rights in accordance with the law, equal participation in economic and social development, and equal enjoyment of the fruits of reform and development."

The Chinese government has developed laws and regulations to protect women's rights, encouraged the development of women's rights movement, and given the justice administration a bigger role to play in securing women's rights; women NGOs are now playing a bigger role in women's rights protection; and women's awareness of legal rights protection continues to increase at the result of relevant laws and human rights education.

Development of Relevant National Laws

In March 2004, the principle that "the State shall respect and safeguard human rights" was written into the Chinese Constitution, leveled up from government policy to the fundamental law of the country, not only providing the constitutional guarantee on human rights but also creating a more favorable legal environment for the development of Chinese women's human rights.

In order to further protect women's human rights, the State has revised a number of laws, placing an emphasis on raising the proportion of women in political decision-making. In 2013, the Anti-Domestic Violence Law was included in the legislative plan of 12th session of the NPC Standing Committee.

Efforts from the Government

In 2009, the State Council issued the first national plan themed on human rights, the National Human Rights Action Plans of China (2009-2010). Since the promulgation and implementation of the Plan, women's rights have been better protected. In June 2012, the State Council issued the second national human rights plan with the same theme, stipulating the Chinese government's work objectives and specific measures for the promotion and protection of human rights. Women's rights were again included as the theme, stressing that the State shall take measures to further promote women's political participation, eliminate gender discrimination in employment, protect the land property rights of rural women, ensure decent reproductive health service, combat violence against women and strengthen gender-based statistics, so as to urge gender equality and eliminate gender discrimination.

The government also developed national plans to combat human trafficking, effectively preventing and cracking down on trafficking of women and children according to law, with active assistance and proper placement of trafficked victims to safeguard legitimate rights and interests of citizens. In addition, the Chinese government has acted to fulfill its obligations as a signatory to many international human rights treaties, with the CEDAW/C/CHN/7-8 submitted to the UN Secretary-General in 2012.

Giving Full Play to the Role of Justice

Some courts have set up family courts, collegial panels for women's rights and minor courts. There are nearly 3,000 collegial panels for women's rights under the people's courts above the county level. The proportion of women judges has increased with each passing year. Currently, personal safety ruling against domestic violence has been piloted in more and more courts nationwide, covering 14 provinces and municipalities, with nearly 300 copies of ruling issued accumulatively regarding the protection of personal safety.

Legal aid and judicial assistance were further stepped up. In April 2013, the Ministry of Justice issued regulation, pointing out the need to increase legal aid for people in need, including women, to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

Women NGOs Playing an Important Role

Over the last two decades, the ACWF has submitted proposals, motions and comments to the NPC and CPPCC and engaged in the formulation and revision of laws and regulations. Gender equality evaluation mechanisms were pursued throughout the country, already set up in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Beijing and Anhui. The ACWF in conjunction with NGOs on women's issues succeeded in incorporating the anti-domestic violence law in the legislative plan of the NPC Standing Committee.

The ACWF attached great importance to the role of women's rights hotline "12338" in claiming women's rights. Currently, the hotline is in operation in more than 2,800 counties in all 31 provincial-level jurisdictions, working together with 250,000 rights service agencies in all types, dealing with rights issues and accepting domestic violence complaints.

Legal Literacy and Human Rights Education Improved

China has implemented the Sixth Five-Year Legal Literacy Plan from 2011 to 2015, with various forms of information campaigns for the Constitution, the legal system and the State's underlying laws. Every year, the ACWF organizes publicity campaigns on the Women's Day and the following week, the Legal Publicity Day, the International Day against Domestic Violence and the Human Rights Day, to better women's rights services, enhance women's legal awareness, and guide women to use law as a tool for safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests.

China is witnessing the gradual roll-out of human rights education. At present, human rights education and training systems have taken shape across Chinese universities, among which more than 40 offer courses in human rights laws. Nearly 50 human rights research institutions have been set up across the country. Three human rights law textbooks, including the International Human Right Law, have been selected as part of the State-level textbooks for general higher education of 11th Five-Year Plan.

Challenges Ahead

However, the legal system of women's human rights protection needs to be further improved; judicial officers should be equipped with more gender equality sensitivity; and the general public's human rights awareness needs to be further strengthened. Therefore, it is necessary to better the legal system for women's human rights protection, increase publicity and education efforts on human rights, and intensify gender awareness training for legislative, judicial and law enforcement personnel.

Data speaks

* Throughout 2013, respectively 5,126 and 2,765 cases of trafficking in women and children were cracked, with 2,395 alleged criminals under prosecution.

* There are nearly 3,000 collegial panels for women's rights under the people's courts above the county level.

* As of 2012, female judges and people's jurors accounted to 27.6 and 34.9 percent respectively nationwide, where more than 8,000 people's jurors belonged to the system of women's federations.

* The "12338" hotline is in operation in more than 2,800 counties in all 31 provincial-level jurisdictions, working together with 250,000 rights service agencies in all types.

* In 2010, 83.5 percent of respondents knew that China formulated a special law to protect women's rights and interests, 9.5 percentage points higher than a decade ago.

(Women of China)