Zhang Lixi: Education Empowers Women to Change the World

Zhang Lixi serves as president of China Women's University, the first state-run institute of higher learning exclusively for women in China. [@首都百万师生微党课]

Education has being changing the fate of Chinese women. In 2010, female employees numbered 350 million across the country, accounting for 45.4 percent of all employees.

The proportion of Chinese women has markedly increased in tertiary industries, especially in emerging, technology- and knowledge-intensive industries, and has even exceeded the proportion of men in educational, cultural, health and sports fields.

Women's federations have played an important role in promoting women's employment. In 2011, the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) launched a research project on the growth conditions and development strategies of senior female talents.

Based on the research results, the ACWF has made policy proposals, such as relaxing the age of women who apply for youth scientific funds to 40, extending the period of their final research reports because of the possibility that they may choose to have a child (something that is generally less disruptive to male careers than it is to female careers), and increasing female members in expert review panels.

These proposals have been recognized and accepted by relevant departments with satisfactory results. For example, women sponsored by the National Outstanding Youth Science Fund Project increased from 1,991 in 2009 to 2,723 in 2010.

In an effort to promote women's employment, the government should strengthen legislation and make effective policies to create a sound environment for women's employment and development.

In addition, greater efforts should be made to increase education and training for women to enhance their intrinsic dynamics and get women to acquire the keys and power to shape their own destinies and that of the world.

The author is Zhang Lixi, president of China Women's University, the first state-run institute of higher learning exclusively for women in China, which is affiliated with the ACWF and under the academic administration of the Ministry of Education.

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