Enormous Progress Has Been Made with Regards to the Legislation of Anti-domestic Violence Law

To raise awareness and trigger action to end violence against women and girls, the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) held a senior leaders meeting to promote the establishment and publication of family violence laws and regulations to protect Chinese women and girls in Beijing on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Song Xiuyan, vice-president and first member of the Secretariat of the ACWF attended the meeting and delivered the keynote speech about domestic violence against women and girls on November 24.

During the meeting, Song expressed that the Chinese Government and the Party have attached great importance to implementing the basic national policy of promoting gender equality to protect the legitimate rights and interests of women and children. So far, enormous progress has been made with regards to the legislation of anti-domestic violence laws under the joint efforts of related legislative branches and organizations.

Song stressed that full recognition should be given to the legislation on anti-domestic violence law.

Taking the golden opportunity of studying and implementing legislative work and its spirit conveyed by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee in October 2014, the ACWF will prompt more women to guard themselves from domestic violence by using the future law on family violence.

Song also affirmed that the promotion of the establishment and publication of the law exerts a great influence on the construction of harmonious families and the development of social stability, as well as the healthy growth of China's younger generation.

The year 2015 will not only witness the 20th anniversary of the establishment of China's national policy on gender equality, but also marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women (UNFWCW), which was held in Beijing in 1995. Song hopes that legislative work on anti-domestic violence law will make remarkable achievements and meet the demand of realizing gender equality, thus fulfilling the promises made by Chinese Government at the World Conference in 1995.

In order to attain the goal of promoting legislation on the elimination of violence against women, much work has already been done, which can be divided into four aspects.

The first step is smashing traditional ideas that view domestic violence as a private family matter which doesn’t concern the government or the criminal justice system. Raising women and girls' awareness on the harm of domestic violence and urging them to promote the establishment of the anti-domestic violence law are the foundation of eliminating violence against women and girls.

Song added that related legislative branches or organizations should cooperate with each other and put the anti-violence plan into action. Furthermore, women's organizations or committees nationwide need to take an active role in the process of promoting legislation work on eliminating domestic violence, such as making domestic violence known to the public, giving advice on Chinese family services and the elimination of domestic violence.

The most important effort to eliminate domestic violence is that a general mobilization of social forces needs to be declared, which involves legislative branches, women's organizations, women themselves and social media. Only when the total participation of each person and social organization is promoted can we reduce such social problems and the likelihood of social crimes and keep women and girls safe from domestic violence.

All the attendees, including Huang Er'mei, vice-president of the China's Supreme People's Court and Wang Naikun, vice-president of China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), were present at the meeting with Tan Lin, member of the Secretariat of the ACWF.

Watching a TV documentary titled "Chronicle of China's Anti-domestic Violence" provided by China Central Television (CCTV), all attendees expressed their views on their work experience of anti-domestic violence.

(Source: wsic.ac.cn / Translated by Women of China)