Making Progress

Julie Broussard has worked in China for more than 13 years. [Women of China English Monthly]

Julie Broussard has worked in China for more than 13 years. Since March 2009, when she was named country program manager of UN Women China, Broussard has been involved in various projects and programs, each with the purpose of promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. "I feel that an important part of creating an equal and peaceful world is (promoting) gender equality and ensuring women are treated equally and given the same opportunities (as men). No society can achieve equality, long-term prosperity and lasting peace unless there is gender equality," Broussard told Women of China earlier this year.

Women of China (WOC): Of the gender-related issues that arose last year, which one particularly caught your attention?

Broussard: Two issues aroused my attention. First, the draft of the Law of the People's Republic of China Against Domestic Violence was made public on November 25. That was a key step forward in improving and protecting women's rights in China. We do hope the law will be passed this year.

In April 2014, the United Nations held an international round-table meeting, during which 13 experts from 11 countries shared their experiences in formulating and implementing anti-domestic violence laws. The experts met (members of) the drafting committee of China's anti-domestic violence law, and offered their advice for the drafting committee's consideration.

When we saw the draft law, we were happy to see some of our recommendations had been included. For example, some experts said the typical means of protecting women used to be taking them out of their homes and putting them in shelters. But this method was unfair to women and their children. In several countries, the women stay in their homes, and the perpetrators are removed from the homes.
The other issue involved a female college graduate, named Cao Ju, who was rejected by a potential employer simply because she was a woman. She accused the employer of gender discrimination … and she received 30,000 yuan (US $4,918) in compensation. We know that many employers prefer to have men do the jobs for which women are qualified and, in fact, capable of doing. Cao's case revealed China's determination to combat gender discrimination in employment.

WOC: How would you assess the development of gender equality in China? What achievements have been made? What challenges remain?

Broussard: One major achievement was that China went to the CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women) Committee in Geneva, in October 2014, and officials from the Chinese Government answered questions about its report on the nation's implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. I attended the meeting on behalf of the United Nations.

The concluding observation of China's report has been issued, and we will work closely with the Chinese Government to follow up on the advice given by the CEDAW Committee. In addition, it was the first time that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from China submitted shadow reports to the CEDAW Committee. UN Women supported Chinese NGOs in the writing of two reports: One regarding women and HIV/AIDS, and the other regarding LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people's rights. 

The remaining challenges, for all countries, are always related to implementation (of laws and commitments). Assuming the law to combat domestic violence will be enacted in China this year, then the challenge will be effectively sticking to the law. We have already had one case on gender discrimination against women in employment (Cao Ju's case), the challenge will be (ensuring there is) continuous enforcement of employment laws, and (making sure) more women and men know about their employment rights.

WOC: In your opinion, in what ways do Chinese women have to cope with unequal treatment?

Broussard: I think women encounter discrimination when they are searching for employment. Also, women account for the majority of the victims of domestic violence. They turn to the police for help, but the police usually do not take their complaints seriously.

Sometimes, women in China face discrimination when they try to assert their land and property rights. For rural women, the right to land is a critical issue. In reality, the right to land is often controlled by the women's families. If a woman divorces her husband, she is likely to lose all of her rights to the family's land. We are also concerned about urban women's property rights. The judicial interpretation of the Marriage Law (issued in 2011) stated that in the event of divorce, the ownership of the marital property was to transfer to the person whose name was on the deed. The problem is, as a result of tradition, usually only the husband's name is on the property. There have been many cases in which women and/or their families have contributed to the cost of marital property; for example, by helping to pay off the mortgage, or by buying all of the furnishings. But, if the wife's name is not on the title, once she gets the divorce, she will lose the investment she and/or her parents made in the property.

WOC: What is your work plan for 2015? Will UN Women launch any projects in China in 2015?

Broussard: One of the things we have included in our work plan for 2015 is following up on CEDAW's observation and the CEDAW Committee's recommendations for China in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment.

In terms of projects, we have a new project on safeguarding women's rights and equal opportunities in employment. We will work with the China National Textile and Apparel Council to launch a project, in Zhejiang Province, which will focus on women's rights in the workplace. The project will mainly benefit blue-collared women workers in factories. We will work with management teams to make sure they understand the protection of workers' rights benefits the company, especially its development.

We are also going to start a project on gender and climate change. We will select researchers to finish a study on this topic, and the researchers will pay particular attention to rural areas, where the locals, due to poverty, are more vulnerable to climate change.

We will launch a project on gender and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Based on global research, there is a correlation between women in leadership and companies' overall performance and profitability. Companies, especially those that have shown they accept their corporate social responsibilities, should take women's needs into consideration when they launch CSR programs. For example, if they want to launch a program that will help alleviate poverty in western China, they should make sure women's needs are taken into consideration.

WOC: How can ordinary people help promote gender equality and enhance women's empowerment?

Broussard: I believe ordinary people can contribute a lot to gender equality. We hope more men and boys will come forward and support gender equality and help protect women's rights. UN Women has launched a global campaign, HeForShe, which calls for one billion men and boys, from around the world, to sign a petition, stating "I want to support gender equality," by September 2015. We have translated the HeForShe campaign's website into Chinese, so Chinese men and boys can read it and sign the petition. 

We feel it is also good for men to support gender equality. Men are supposed to be the breadwinners, who bring most of the earnings back to their families. They are supposed to buy houses and cars. However, not every Chinese man has enough money to afford an apartment, a car and everything other people assume he should have in order to get married. It is also good for men, as fathers, to take a more active role in raising their children.

WOC: You began working in China in the early 1990s. You have witnessed the many changes in China over the years. What do you think of those changes?

Broussard: UN Women opened its office in China in 1998. Formerly known as UNIFAM, the name was changed to UN Women in 2010. I assumed my current post in March 2009. However, I first came to China in 1990, to teach English at Changchun University of Science and Technology.

At that time, I had a big class, of 100 students. My Chinese students were generally hardworking, and they were curious about what life was like and what other students were doing in the United States, and Europe. They were full of questions, but they were shy and afraid of making mistakes. I had to encourage my students to speak out in the class.

China was very different at that time. Very few people had cars. There were not many tall buildings. Nobody had a cell phone. Very few people had telephones in their homes; they mostly had telephones only in their offices. Public transportation, in terms of traveling between cities, was inconvenient. There were no high-speed trains or good-quality highways.

In the early 1990s, people had their danwei (unit) system. Most people were employed by State-owned companies or official institutions, which provided them with housing (apartments), a cafeteria (where the employees had meals), health insurance and childcare.

Media was underdeveloped. There were just a few TV stations, newspapers and magazines. Advertising has changed a lot. One negative change is that you see a lot of women being used as "sex objects" in advertising today. I think that is something China has learned from the West: To sell their products by using women as sex symbols. I regard that as something negative.

Also in the early 1990s, almost every Chinese woman assumed she should have a job and continue working after she got married and had a child. Now, there is a stereotype that a woman should marry a rich husband to live a good life. I think women don't have to work if they want to stay at home and take care of their children, but it is very important for women to have financial independence. If a young woman gets married and she has no possibility of finding employment, what will happen if her marriage goes bad, or if she becomes a victim of domestic violence? If she has little possibility of finding employment, how will she support herself and her children? In a market economy, people cannot assume they will have the same job after five years, so it doesn't make sense for a family to rely solely on the man to earn a living.

(Source: Women of China English Monthly February 2015 Issue)