Offering Advice and Suggestions for Women's Employment
　　The All-China Women's Federation and Chinese Women's Research Society from December 15 to 17, 2002 held the Forum on Chinese Women's Employment. About 300 experts were invited --from the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee, the State Development and Planning Commission, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the People's Bank of China, the Policy Research Office of the State Council and the Development Research Center of the State Council, as well as from colleges and universities, the research institutes of social sciences and the International Labor Organization.
　　Problems discussed included further establishing and perfecting gender-equality policy on the labor market and promoting women's employment. Peng Peiyun, Vice Chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee, President of the ACWF and President of the Chinese Women's Research Society, made an important speech.
　　For most women, Peng said, employment is essential for life and development. It is also the most basic right and an important condition for the improvement of women's social status and comprehensive development. Economic development has created for women more opportunities, Peng added. During China's economic readjustment, many women are shifting from traditional industries to emergent industries, from primary and secondary industries to the tertiary industry. With the initial establishment of a market-oriented employment mechanism, women's ideas about employment, and about the mode of employment, have taken profound changes. Many women with courage and insight have grasped opportunities. Enterprising and with a pioneering spirit, through starting businesses themselves, they have enhanced their opportunities for development.
　　However, Peng said, it is important to remember the employment problem for Chinese women will continue to be a serious problem, and that women's employment will seem to be more complicated.
　　Peng outlined the main problems: The proportion of laid-off women workers is comparatively large, women's employment and re-employment are difficult to accomplish; new changes have appeared in the structures of occupations for women, the income gap between men and women is widening, women's labor rights are still being violated, especially women who are informally employed; and few non-agricultural jobs are opening to women, despite China's urbanization.
　　Peng suggested the reasons for these problems include the influence resulting from the adjustment of the industrial and ownership structures; the imperfection and inadequate implementation of laws and social security to protect women's labor rights and interests; continued sexual discrimination; and women's inadequate competitiveness in the labor market.
　　To solve the problems, Peng said, women must be guided by the State's general policies, implement the State's basic policy of gender equality, and resist sexual discrimination. Women must also hold on to the principle of development.
　　Peng said she hopes society will pay much attention to women's employment, promote women's employment, strengthen job training, open all channels for employment, increase work posts, encourage women to start businesses, and use the laws to safeguard their rights and interests. Women's organizations must make employment and re-employment of women an urgent task, Peng said.
　　During the two-day meeting, participants carried out extensive exchanges and discussions on several subjects--including increasing opportunities for women's employment and promoting the laws and regulations on equal employment, policies on equal job training, policies on equal income based on market conditions, policies on work health and safety and policies regarding social security.

10 Outstanding Chinese Women
　　The 10 top outstanding Chinese women were selected at the fourth public appraisal sponsored by the ACWF and 11 media organizations--including People's Daily and China Women's News. The program is designed to promote the further implementation of the State's basic policy of gender equality, publicize outstanding Chinese women, demonstrate to the world the progresses and achievements Chinese women have made, encourage women to make greater contributions to China's economic construction and social development, and to promote the progress of social civilization.
　　With the vigorous participation of numerous people, 10 women, who made prominent contributions to China, were honored. They were:
　　1. Zhao Xiuling, a deputy chief engineer with the armed police. Being praised as a bright light on the roof of the world, she has been devoted to the course of water and electricity.
　　2. Yang Yang, a short-track speed-skating athlete. With amazing willpower, she won China's first gold medal of the Winter Olympics.
　　3. Wang Anyi, one of China's most influential contemporary writers. She has won the Maodun Literature Award.
　　4. Ren Changxia, director of the Public Security Bureau of Dengfeng City, Henan Province. Keeping to principles and not yielding to pressure, she was praised as a heroine in police circles.
　　5. Yin Yuzhen, a farmer in the Wushen Banner, E'erduosi City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Having struggled silently against the desert for 17 years, she turned bare land into a "kingdom of greenness."
　　6. Yang Mianmian, president of Shandong Hai'er Group. After 17-year hard work, she created and built up the world-famous brand.
　　7. Wu Naifeng, deputy director of Tianjin Tiantuli Group. She has made vigorous efforts in the research and development of traditional Chinese medicine, and promoted the medicine to the world.
　　8. Lu Guangxiu, professor and supervisor of Ph. D. candidates at Zhongnan University. She has made prominent achievements in the studies of genetic engineering and stem cell engineering, and trained hundreds of people in reproductive genetics.
　　9. Zhu Huiqiu, chairwoman of the board of directors of Anhui Huaxin Biomedicine Co. Ltd. She pioneered an enterprise with arduous efforts and never forgot others though she became rich.
　　10. Zhang Guimei, a Manchu teacher with the Middle School of Minorities in Huaping County, Lijiang Area, Yunnan Province. Although seriously ill, she volunteered to work as a teacher in the poverty-stricken mountainous area. Zhang is a national model teacher.

Wu Yi Elected Member of CPC's Political Bureau
　　The 16th National Congress of the CPC was held from November 8 to 14. Among 2,114 delegates, 382, or 18.1 percent, were women. That was 1.3 percent higher than in the 15th National Congress. The 16th National Congress elected 198 Members of CPC's Central Committee, and five were women. Wu Yi was elected Member of CPC's Political Bureau at the First Plenary Session of the 16th Central Committee.

Women's Rights in Land Contract Are Outlined in the Law　
　　On August 29, 2002, the 29th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress approved the law of land contract of rural areas. The law stipulates women's rights in land contracts: Women and men enjoy equal rights in land contracts. Women's legal rights and interests are protected during the land contract, and no organizations or individuals can deprive them of, or infringe upon, their rights of land responsibility and operation.
　　During the term of the contract, if a woman who gets married does not gain the contracted land in the new living place, her original land cannot be taken back by the lessor. If a woman who gets divorced or is widowed lives in the original place, or lives in a new place where she does not have the contracted land, her original land cannot be taken back by the lessor.

Proportion of Women in NPC and CPPCC Should Increase
On March 4, 2002, the women's group of the CPPCC approved the motion regarding the promotion of women's participation in politics by increasing the percentage of women members of the 10th CPPCC. In the Ninth CPPCC, 15.5 percent of the members were women. Deputies to the Ninth NPC also suggested 25 percent of the 10th NPC's deputies should be women.

Yang Yang Won China's First Gold Medal of the Winter Olympics
Chinese women created splendor again in sports in 2002. At the Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, Yang Yang won two gold medals in the women's 500-meter and 1,000-meter short-track speed-skating events. It was the first time for China to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. At the Asian Games, China finished first with 150 gold medals. Among them, 84 were won by women, who set 10 world records.

Conquering the World's Sixth-Highest Peak
On October 1, 2002 after more than one month of hardships, a mountaineering team composed of five Chinese women and six Japanese women reached Zhuo'aoyou Peak. It is the sixth-highest peak in the world, at 8,201 meters above sea level. The team was the first in the world composed of more than 10 women.

Women in Xinjiang Participate in Political Life
　　The government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have consistently cared for and supported women's development. In recent years, its functional departments actively cooperated with each other and enhanced the training and election of women cadres at various levels in Xinjiang. Women's participation in political life has subsequently achieved unprecedented development.
　　In 2000, there were 652,000 cadres, of which 296,000, or 45.3 percent, were women. In August 2002, women cadres increased to 308,900, or 45.95 percent.
　　The government especially paid attention to the training and election of minority women cadres. In 2000, there were 331,000 minority cadres in Xinjiang, of which 149,000, or 45 percent, were women. At present, there are 1,723 women cadres above the county level, an increase of 239 since 2000. There are five women cadres at the provincial level, accounting for 8.9 percent of the total. There are 87 women cadres at the prefectural level, or 6.39 percent. There are 16 women leaders in the governments of 14 prefectures in Xinjiang, and one woman holds the primary responsibilities.
　　Last year, the governments of 96 counties, cities and districts elected women as members of leading teams. At present, there are 124 women leaders in those governments. It was the first time that Xinjiang had women heads of counties.

Knowledge Changes Fate of Women
　　Women make up 50 percent of China's population, and women's comprehensive quality is an indicator of Chinese citizens' general quality. The fast-developing age has placed new demands on women, so more Chinese women desire to study.
　　Today, in more Chinese universities, mothers are more often attending classes. Some of them have never been to university, some have earned their bachelor's and master's degrees. They are attending classes because they want to adapt to the new environment and further realize their value.
　　　The education level of women in Beijing has increased generally, and Beijing women lead their sisters in other regions in the country in receiving higher education. In 2000, female university students accounted for 43.5 percent of the total, seven percent higher than in 1995, and higher than the national average. Some 32.9 percent of China's graduates were women, 26.3 percent of women pursued doctorate degrees, and 35.5 percent pursued master's degrees.
　　On International Women's Day, 2002, the Shanghai Women's Federation promoted the concept "Go to School for Tomorrow." The proposal aroused great response among women in Shanghai. According to the Shanghai Women's Education Center, 22.5 percent of women in Shanghai joined training or further studied in the past three years, nine percent higher than the national average. The idea of "mastering one subject, knowing two subjects and learning three subjects" is advocated in Shanghai. Now, 492,000 women in Shanghai have received skill or technical certificates, 84,000 women have acquired two kinds of certificates, and 117,000 women have acquired three kinds of certificates. Sixth percent of Shanghai women are employed now.

Water Cellars for Mothers Benefit Women
　　Water shortages caused by drought are a worldwide concern. China's western region is one of the world's major drought areas. There, the annual average rainfall is 300 millimeters, while the annual vaporization rate is between 1,500--2,000 millimeters. Many women have to walk miles each day, on rugged mountain paths to carry water for their families. In rainy seasons, local people need to build water cellars--water-collection containers--to supply water to households and animals. But, due to poverty, many people have to make tedious trips on mountains because they lack the money necessary to build a water cellar. To help these poverty-stricken women solve the problem, the Chinese Women's Development Foundation (CWDF) launched a special fund-- "Love of the Earth·Water Cellars for Mothers."
　　The project mobilizes people to make donations-to help poor women in China's western region build water cellars. By the end of 2002, more than 80,000 rain-collection water cellars and more than 1,000 small water-supply centers had been constructed, with an investment of 98.737 million yuan. More than 10 provinces, cities and autonomous regions, and more than 780,000 people, have benefited.
　　In order to further raise social awareness, CWDF sponsored in August, 2002, the "Western Journey, Raising Concern About Water Cellars for Mothers" program. Donors and reporters were invited to visit China's draught-stricken western region--to experience firsthand the conditions. The participants felt the residents' gratitude for the water cellars, and received information about the project's implementation. By the end of 2002, about 20 journalists and five delegations had visited the west. Some of Beijing's families also visited the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In October 2002, CWDF initiated follow-up activities to the "Love of the Earth·Water Cellars for Mothers" project, which urged society to be concerned about the western regions, about poverty, and about mothers and their children living in draught-stricken areas.

Chinese Men Formed the First Volunteer Group to Check Domestic Violence
　　On December 10, 2002, ahead of the World Human Rights Day, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Chinese Media Watch Network and the China Association for NGO Cooperation launched the conference of "Men and Women Working Together to Eliminate Domestic Violence-to Mark the International Day of Anti-Domestic Violence. At the conference, the first men's group against domestic violence was formed.
Each man wore a white ribbon. The men vowed they wouldn't commit violence against women or turn a blind eye to domestic violence. The members also tried to raise national awareness about domestic violence, and called on the public to let both men and women work hand in hand to build a world free of violence. The group consists of officials, teachers, legal workers, experts and consultants on women's issues, medical workers and journalists.