The ministries of Civil Affairs, Justice and Public Security, with the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, the All-China Women's Federation, and six other national departments and organizations, in late March 2025 issued an action plan to provide targeted care and assistance to rural left-behind women facing difficulties. The plan proposes strengthened employment and entrepreneurship support for the women. 

Specifically, the plan focuses on low-income women, women with serious illnesses, women with disabilities and women whose legal rights and/or interests have been violated. It outlines arrangements for targeted care and assistance, to address the women's prominent difficulties in employment and income generation, rights-and-interests protection, and spiritual and cultural lives. 

The plan emphasizes the provision of vocational-skills training, and the development of the agricultural, breeding and handicraft industries, to help the women increase their incomes. 

It advocates creating public-service and rural/urban community-governance positions and guiding qualified women to engage in social work. Regarding basic livelihood guarantees, the plan stipulates local governments provide timely assistance to eligible rural left-behind women or families. 

It also supports charitable organizations, and other social organizations, in conducting public-welfare activities and projects for this group of women. Qualified disabled left-behind women will receive two types of disability subsidy, and those in need will be provided with basic rehabilitation services. 

The plan also underscores the protection of women's rights and interests, including intensifying crackdowns on illegal activities that infringe rural left-behind women's legal rights and/or interests. It calls for enhancing health services for the women, including offering free cervical and breast cancer screenings. 

Furthermore, the plan aims to foster stronger family ties, values and traditions, guiding family members to acknowledge the contributions and value of rural left-behind women, and to prevent discrimination and domestic violence.

(Women of China English Monthly May 2025)

Editor: Wang Shasha