New Goals for
the Development of Chinese Women and Children
Following the promulgation of The Program
for the Development of Chinese Women (2001
- 2010) and The Program for the Development
of Chinese Children (2001 - 2010) by the State
Council on 22, May, new goals, tasks and measures
have been put forward concerning women and
children's development in the new century.
The adoption of the two programs shows that
the Chinese government attaches importance
to the development of women and children and
has made a solemn commitment to the international
community.
The two programs combine short and long
term objectives to promote women and children,
present a wide range of prospects for their
development in economy, politics, education,
health care, legal aid and environment.
The two programs are formulated in line with
three basic principles as follows:
1. The coordination between the development
of women and children and that of the economy
and society. The goals, tasks and measures
set in the two programs are in conformity
to relative legal rules and regulations, the
main objectives and tasks in the 10th Five-Year
Plan, and the programs made by governmental
departments concerned.
2. The integration of reality and forward
looking strategy. In view of national conditions
in the initial stage of socialist construction,
as well as the present situation of Chinese
women and children, the two programs are geared
to the 21st century and the world standards.
Many of the targets are made with reference
to international documents. All these have
made the goals practical, operational, forward
looking and challenging.
3. The combination of a comprehensive and
a specific focus. The goals in the two programs
reflect the comprehensive development level
of Chinese women and children. In the meantime,
consideration is taken for the regional differences
and prominence is given to the development
problems confronting women and children in
minority inhabited areas.
Compared with the programs in the 1990s, the
new ones are characterized by the following
four features:
1. The basic state policies of equality
between the sexes, the principle of "children
first" and "four basic rights children
enjoy" are clarified. President Jiang
pointed out in his speech at the Fourth World
Conference on Women, that equality between
men and women should be taken as a basic state
policy in promoting the development of society.
The important statement is written down in
the women program as part of the general objective
for the first time, thus further emphasizing
the importance of the implementation of the
basic state policy. With "children first"
as part of the general objective, the protection
of children's rights to survival, development,
being protected and participation is listed
as the main objective in the children program.
These are the children's four basic rights
stipulated in the Convention on the Rights
of the Child.
2. Areas of priority for the development
of women and children are given prominence.
In accordance with international plans for
action and specific conditions of Chinese
women and children, the 11 major goals in
women program and 10 major goals in children
program for the past decade are classified
into six areas in the new programs: economy,
politics, education, health care, law and
environment.
3. Women and children's self development
is highlighted. New goals are set according
to the 10th Five-Year Plan, general requirements
of social and economic development and the
trend for women and children's development.
More emphasis is put on how to protect women
and children's legal rights and interests
under socialist market economy, on how to
improve the overall quality of women and children
and means to promote women and children's
self development.
4. Responsibilities are clearly defined.
The formulation of strategies and measures
is important for the realization of goals.
Meanwhile, the new programs, based on experiences
from the implementation of the last two programs,
further define the duties for the state, departments
and society, so as to strengthen the awareness
of responsibility of each level.
To ensure a full realization of goals in the
new programs, all member units of the National
Working Committee on Women and Children, organizations
concerned and governments at all levels will
formulate detailed plans for the next decade,
depending on local conditions, responsibilities
and programs.
From China Women's News
Joint
Statement Supports Former Chinese "Comfort
Women"
The demand for compensation from Chinese
victims of Japanese sexual slavery during
the war of Japanese aggression against China
was rejected, which aroused a great indignation
from The All-China Lawyers' Association,
All-China Women's Federation and China Foundation
for Human Rights Development. On June 19,
2001, a joint statement was issued to give
firm support to women victims in lodging
an appeal.
On August 7, 1995, four Chinese women
from Yu County, Shanxi Province entrusted
Japanese lawyers to take legal proceedings
in a Tokyo court for the crimes Japanese
invaders committed by imprisoning and gang-raping
them from 1942 to 1944. The Japanese government
was asked to make an apology and provide
a compensation of 20 million Japanese yen
to each victim. In the nearly six years
of trial, Japanese lawyers, with the help
of lawyers from China, presented the court
a mountain of facts asserting the crimes.
Three of the four women victims went to
court personally, giving evidence of the
atrocities committed by Japanese army. Despite
these efforts, the Tokyo court turned down
the prosecution on the afternoon of May
30, 2001 with an excuse that individuals
had no right to ask for compensation from
a government. Now, the Chinese women victims
have appealed to a higher court.
In the joint statement they said:
"We are greatly shocked at such a
flagrant violation of law by the Japanese
judicial authority who seemingly despised
the victims, and have defied human rights
in this case.
"Facing Chinese women victims' testimony
and a plethora of ironclad evidence, the
Tokyo court, in brazen defiance of judicial
principals of justice, fairness and general
acknowledgement of truth, made such a wrong
judgement, totally ignorant of the world
opinion and justice. The act, again, seriously
hurt the feelings of the victims, and the
Chinese people in general. For that, we
express our strong indignation.
"Chinese 'Comfort women' is one of
the prominent issues left between China
and Japan from the last century. We ask
the authorities concerned in Japan to take
a correct attitude towards history, make
a sincere apology and handle the affairs
properly and in a responsible way."
From Chinese Women Web
Safe
and Healthy Growth Project (CCAK) Brings
Donations to Western China
On the morning of May 30, 2001, the Great
Hall of the People in Beijing was filled
with enthusiastic people from the All-China
Women's Federation, Ministry of Railways,
Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health,
Armed Police, China Children and Teenagers'
Fund and all walks of life. A large-scale
welfare activity "Safe and Healthy
Growth Project Reaches Western China"
was launched here.
The participants included: Cheng Siyuan,
Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee
of the NPC; Chen Muhua, Honorary President
of the ACWF and President of CCTF; Gu Xiulian,
Vice President and Fist Member of the Secretariat
of the ACWF and Vice President of CCTF;
and Mo Wenxiu, Member of the Secretariat
of the ACWF and Vice President of CCTF.
Good effects have occurred since Safe
and Healthy Growth Project, co-promoted
by CCTF and State Economic and Trade Commission,
was implemented in the past one year. Also,
it has been written into The Year 2000 White
Paper China's Progress in its Cause of Human
Rights. Now this large-scale activity has
becomes new but important part of the project,
with the main theme of "care about
the future of western China, love and be
concerned with the children there."
Gu Xiulian, speaking on behalf of the
sponsors, expressed her high respect to
the enterprises and individuals who contributed
to the society and western China. She also
hoped that friends from all walks of life
and far-sighted persons would continue to
carry on the traditional virtue of "loving
one's own child and loving other's children,"
so as to dedicate their love to the healthy
growth of the children in western China.
At the ceremony, there were many generous
donations to the cause: The Silk Carpet
Factory of Rugao City in Jiangsu Province
donated a high-quality artistic tapestry
Thousand Li of Mountains and Rivers worth
8.95 million yuan and other four tapestries;
Kangdu Hospital of the Fourth Medical University
and other hospitals donated medical equipment
costing two million yuan; Beijing Fengzeheng
Investment Company Ltd. donated one million
yuan and daily necessities and study materials
worth four million yuan; the organizing
committee of "CCAK Beijing Activity
Week," donated one million yuan and
study materials worth one million yuan;
the American World Children's Foundation
donated goods worth 290,000 US$; while the
Hong Kong Fachang International Holding
Company Ltd. donated clothes and toys costing
2 million HK$. Altogether a total of 22.35
million yuan in materials and donations
were collected.
From Chinese
Women Web
Number
One Volunteer at the Charity Bazaar
On the morning of May 28, 2001, people
bustled in front of the ACWF building on
Chang'an Avenue. Gu Xiulian, Vice President
and First Member of the Secretariat of the
ACWF and Vice President of CCTF took the
lead by participating in the "CCAK
One-Hour Volunteer" charity bazaar
activity. For this inaugural event Beijing
Morning Paper contributed over 300,000 papers
to the activity, donating all the money
earned by their sale to children. As Gu
Xiulian sold the newspapers, she happily
said that she was very excited to make some
contribution for children that would help
them grow up healthy.
According to Cheng Shuqin, secretary-general
of CCTF and vice director of the organizing
committee of "CCAK Beijing Activity
Week," the aim of the activity is to
mobilize people who have a loving heart
to contribute their spare-time or specialty
to the safe and healthy growth of children.
Currently, 10,000 people from 30 universities,
29 middle schools and 16 primary schools
have joined the volunteer ranks. Among them
the oldest is 91 years old and the youngest
is only four years old.
The oldest volunteer, 91-year-old Jin
Dehou, when asked why he wanted to become
a volunteer, answered excitedly, "This
is what I should do. Every one must have
a loving heart. If we don't love our children
who will?"
According to information, May 28 was only
the first day of "CCAK One-Hour Volunteer"
activity. Similar charity activities will
be periodically held.
From
Chinese Women Web
Women's
Federation Cadres Act as Special Jurors
in Jiangsu
The Jiangsu Women's Federation and the
Provincial Supreme Court co-held a symposium
on women's federation cadres acting as special
jurors. The symposium was held in Dafeng
City from April 12 to 14. The subjects were:
Strengthening law supervision; promoting
justice and fairness in law; further perfection
of the law ensuring mechanisms for the rights
and interests of women and children; and
raising the stability level of families
and society. At the symposium, successful
methods and experience gleaned from the
trial work were summarized and exchanged,
specific problems and difficulties existing
in the trial work were studied and explored,
while further work promoting women's federation
cadres acting as special jurors was mapped
out. Participants inspected and learned
from the court session with women's federation
cadres of Dafeng City as special jurors.
All told, under the support of the people's
courts at various levels, trial work by
women's federation cadres acting as special
jurors has been carried out in 23 counties,
cities and districts of Jiangsu Province.
By the end of 2000, 269 cadres from women's
federations had become special jurors working
in 116 local courts and had participated
in 317 criminal, civil, administrative and
executive cases concerning women's rights
and interests.
From Chinese
Women Web
Circuit
Court for Women Opens in Fuzhou
Fuzhou City's first circuit court to safeguard
women's rights and interests was recently
set up in the Minhou County Court. Comprised
of eight excellent judges, including women,
the circuit court invited the director of
the Minhou women's federation and the heads
of women's federations from 16 townships
to be special jurors. The special court
will serve the needs of women suffering
from domestic violence and solve the difficulties
these women have come across in the legal
procedure in a shorter time.
At the opening ceremony, five units including
the Minhou County Court and the Provincial
Dongfang Auctioneer donated 9,000 yuan to
the "Opposing Domestic Violence Rescue
Foundation" under the Fuzhou Women's
Federation.
From Chinese Women Web
Families
Study the New Marriage Law in Guangxi
In order to make the new Marriage Law
known to every family, the Guangxi Women's
Federation conducted activities with the
theme "Studying the New Marriage Law,
Establishing a Civilized Marriage and Family"
from May 2001 to March 2002.
The activities include the following contents:
1. Publicity. The federation has fixed
mid-June until mid-July as the month to
publicize the law, organize women to study
the laws and regulations concerning marriage
and family, set up training courses, distribute
brochures and hold publicity reports and
performances. The federation will co-start
a publicity column with the press, give
law explanations by discussing a particular
case, and expand publicity and education
to enabling women and family members to
grasp the law and relevant knowledge on
marriage and family.
2. Demonstration. To go deep into villages
and communities to hold publicity and education
activities and give law explanations according
to specific cases.
3. Competition. To organize average women
and their family members to take part in
competitions about knowledge of the laws
and regulations concerning marriage and
family.
4. Registration. To mobilize women to
register their marriage according to the
law. To cooperate with relevant departments
to mobilize women in actual marriage to
file their marriage registration, thereby
safeguarding the lawful rights of women
and children.
5. Examination. To coordinate with the
Regional People's Congress to launch an
examination of the enforcement of the Law
on the Protection of the Rights and Interests
of Women in some prefectures, cities and
counties. Publicity and implementation of
the new Marriage Law was included in the
examination.
At present, the Guangxi Women's Federation
has run the training course on the publicity
and education of the new Marriage Law. Altogether
216 women cadres from various prefectures,
cities, counties and some townships have
been trained, shaping out a contingent for
publicizing and implementing the law in
Guangxi.
From Chinese
Women Web
Community
Center for Meditating Family Dispute Established
in Qingdao
To implement the new Marriage Law, timely
and effectively, solve family disputes and
prevent cases infringing women's rights
and interests in the community, Shinan District
Women's Federation in Qingdao set up the
Community Center for Meditating Family Dispute
at B Resident Committee under the Sub-District
Office of Zhanshan.
The center takes popularizing knowledge
of laws in the community and maintaining
women and children's legitimate rights and
interests as its starting points. Aiming
to curb the high occurrence rate of family
disputes, a system of maintaining women's
rights and meditating family disputes has
been set up. The head of the women's representative
committee acts as the person in charge,
heads of small resident groups as the mediators
and every 10 households has a person gathering
information. The center has a women legal
aid site, a letterbox of complaint, a hotline
and a group of volunteers. The trial work
has received warm welcome from local residents,
women in particular. The Shinan District
Women's Federation will sum up their experience
and distribute it to the whole district.
From
Chinese Women Web
Substantial
Measures Against Domestic Violence Launched
in Hunan
Recently, in Hetang District, Zhuzhou
City, Hunan Province, the district women's
federation, public security bureau and judicial
bureau co-issued a document for implementing
the Decision on Preventing Domestic Violence
by the Standing Committee of the Provincial
People's Congress. It clearly states that
all family members and neighbors can call
the police stations or judicial stations
to report when domestic violence occurs.
Judicial departments in communities should
fulfill their duty, play their role of aiding
and quickly go to the spot to stop violent
behavior after they receive a report. The
district has also worked out the following
four measures:
1. To set up squads to prevent violence
for family members whose legitimate rights
are infringed upon. Persons from the local
police station, judicial station and women's
federation forms the squad, generally three
or four persons, headed by the chief of
the police station.
2. To set up family violence report centers.
Now there are 15 such centers in the district,
mainly the district women's federation,
public security bureau and judicial bureau
in charge of them.
3. To set up an aid fund for preventing
domestic violence. At present, most victims
of domestic violence are women, who are
usually in hard circumstances after being
subjected to domestic violence. In order
to enable these women to get financial help
and protect their legitimate rights and
interests, the district women's federation
gave the initial donation and set up the
aid fund. Up until now, more than 4,000
yuan has been collected.
4. To set up a check and register system.
The district women's federation has printed
register forms to record the details of
domestic violence incidents. All people
involved in domestic violence should register
and sign their names. Police stations and
judicial stations should warmly receive
people who arrive to report domestic violence
that has violated the law, inquire about
the details and take down notes. No one
should refuse to handle the matter on the
excuses of "this is an inner family
dispute" or "this is not my responsibility."
Those people concerned who do not live in
the locality of the administration should
be instructed to report to the proper administrator.
Minor violators will be severely criticized
or given warning punishment. Those who did
not correct their deeds after being warned
three consecutive times, or those who have
caused quite serious result and influence,
but not serious enough to be sentenced for
crimes, should be punished according to
law. The public security bureau, judicial
bureau and women's federation should register
and settle down every reported case of domestic
violence. Those who have caused very bad
effects because of dereliction of duty should
be called to account.
From Chinese
Women Web
Women's
Federations Pay Close Attention to Women's
Labor Rights
Since the Labor Law was promulgated and
began to be implemented in 1995, the All-China
Women's Federation and women's federations
at all levels have made efforts to promote
the law's implementation and feasibly maintain
women's legitimate labor rights and interests.
According to Liu Hairong, Vice President
and Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF,
in order to protect women's legitimate rights
from infringement the ACWF has conducted
in-depth surveys to provide basis for the
state legislation and government decision,
and helped relevant departments to push
for the implementation of laws and regulations.
The Labor Law is one of the focuses of women's
federation for popularizing knowledge of
laws.
According to incomplete statistics, the
ACWF has participated in the drawing and
amending of dozens of laws since 1995. Particularly,
in the drawing of the Law on the Protection
of the Rights and Interests of Women, the
Law for the Protection of Minors and other
laws and regulations, the ACWF pays attention
to women's labor rights and interests and
children's healthy growth. At the same time,
the ACWF has assisted and pushed the government
to draw up the first women program and children
program in the new century, and included
the protection and safeguard of women's
labor rights and interests into the government's
work, such as helping women get rid of poverty,
re-employment, women workers' labor protection
in foreign-funded and private enterprises,
as well as promoting the social pooling
fund for the reproduction insurance of women
workers. After many years' endeavor, the
legal system for protecting women's labor
rights and interests has been improved continuously
and the work targets of the government has
been clarified and strengthened.
One of most basic aspects of protecting
women's labor rights is the right to be
employed. Without this, there is no basis
to talk about other aspects. At present,
there still exists inequality between men
and women in employment. According to the
statistics of letters to the ACWF in the
year of 2000, about 20 percent of them concern
labor rights protection, including reproduction,
industrial injury, dismissal and contract
dispute. The ACWF therefore has done a great
deal of work in promoting gender equality
in employment. Apart from reflecting the
situation to relevant departments and giving
publicity to gender equality, it has carried
out the "re-employment project"
and spread the advanced experience in carrying
out the project in some localities, to help
laid-off women workers from large and medium-sized
cities as well as those from enterprises
that have stopped or half-stopped production
to find new jobs. Through guiding women
to accept new concepts in finding jobs,
running technical training, setting up re-employment
guiding center and developing community
services, it has offered laid-off women
workers who most needed help to find jobs
again soon.
Because of fierce market competition,
women's caliber is essential for them to
obtain equal right and opportunity for participation
and development. Hence, the ACWF has put
forward to uplift women's caliber and carried
out the work of eliminating illiteracy among
women in many forms. In light of the low
school entrance rate and high drop-out rate
of girls in remote areas, it initiated the
"Spring Bud Project" to pool funds
for helping girls to go to school, so as
to guarantee their right for education.
To prevent the employment of child labor
and protect the minor's legitimate rights,
the ACWF has made efforts such as handling
petition letters, offering law consultation
service, acting as legal representative
and on-the-spot rescuing. These efforts
have positively promoted the whole society
to maintain women and children's rights
and interests. A network composed of the
legal departments, law service agencies
and departments dealing with petition letters
and visitors has been formed in women's
federations. This network widely connects
with a large number of women, knows their
difficulties and hardships, reflects their
wishes and timely solves various conflicts
and disputes for them.
From Chinese Women Web
Science
Popularization Fair in Beijing
On May 18, the Beijing Women's Federation,
Fangshan District Party Committee and Fangshan
District Government co-sponsored a science
popularization fair in Changgou Town of
Fangshan District, Beijing. The theme was
"Bringing Sciences and Technologies
into Farmers' Homes."
Present at the activity were many leaders,
namely, Shen Shuji, Vice President and Member
of the Secretariat of the ACWF; Yue Fuhong,
Vice Mayor of Beijing; Rong Hua, vice director
of the BWF; and Wang Fengjiang, secretary
of the FDPC. During the activity, they conferred
10 demonstrative bases and 30 head demonstrative
households and awarded books on agricultural
sciences and technologies to these "clever
and deft women."
The fairground was divided into the Consultative
Block on Plant Cultivation and Breeding,
Displaying Block of Scientific and Technological
Achievements, Sales Block of Relative Products
and Service Providing Block. Nearly 100
experts and technical personnel from more
than 20 units attended, including the Chinese
Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Beijing
Bureau of Agriculture, and the Beijing Academy
of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences. They
provided many types of service for local
farmers, including consultation and introducing
new breeds and technologies. Altogether,
this activity distributed more than 28,000
promotion materials, while selling more
than 1,500 books on science and technology,
over 200 sacks of seeds, and more than 700
saplings.
This activity initiated the series of
activities entitled the Women Farmers' Journey
of Sciences and Technologies in the New
Century, planned and developed by the BWF
in Beijing's suburbs this year. The series
of activities include three parts: Bringing
Sciences and Technologies into Farmers'
Homes, Sciences and Technologies Acting
Among Farmers and Sciences and Technologies
Enriching Farmers. The activities provides
experts' consultations, scientific and technological
training, house call service as well as
organizing learning, visiting, exchanges
of experiences and displays of achievements.
They aim at improving the entire quality
of the rural women, arousing their enthusiasm
and creativity in production participation
and achieving prosperity relying on sciences
and technologies, as well as leading women
farmers to make new contribution for the
earliest realization of agricultural modernization
in the suburbs of Beijing.
From
Chinese Women Web
Women
Entrepreneurs Discuss WTO and Cyber Times
The Centenary Outstanding Women's Forum
on Pioneering was held by the Developing
Center of Chinese Women's and Children's
Course in Beijing on June 9, 2001. More
than 200 outstanding women entrepreneurs
from 29 provinces all over the country participated.
The following leaders spoke at the opening
ceremony: Cheng Siyuan, Vice Chairperson
of the Standing Committee of the NPC; Wang
Shuxian, member of the CPPCC, deputy director
of the Society and Law Subcommittee of the
CPPCC and former Vice President of the ACWF;
and Guan Tao, former Member of the Standing
Committee of the CPPCC and former Member
of the Secretariat of the ACWF.
The theme of this forum was to help increase
the scale of businesses started by women
and to improve strategic design to face
the market's internationalization, informationalization
and capitalization. Multi-directional and
multilevel analysis and discussions were
conducted at the forum. The discussions
were about the challenges brought upon by
China's entry of WTO to women entrepreneurs
when facing the market's internationalized
standards and relative measures for it.
Discussions also included important methods
to carry out digital management in enterprises
through electronic network system, as well
as how to reach the target of upgrading
enterprises through integrating the market's
resources. Staff members from the State
Economic and Trade Commission and Ministry
of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation
gave detailed introductions and explanations
about current policies to relative industries
and the situation on soliciting foreign
funds.
The forum also invited Wang Ruipu, Member
of the CCPCC, and experts on economics,
to analyze the current economic environment
at both home and abroad from different angles
and ways to enter the market for enterprises
in future. Dongfang Ying, a nationwide famous
economist, presented strategies for the
development of businesses owned by women.
From Chinese
Women Web
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