Three Principles Proposed for the Amendment to the Law
A seminar focusing on the amendment to the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women was held on September 22 in Beijing.
Gu Xiulian, Vice-Chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee and ACWF President, attended the seminar and proposed three principles be at the core of the amendment. She said the legislation was the basic law that protects women's rights and interests, and therefore was an important tool for ensuring the State's basic policy of equality between men and women was realized. Gu said three principles must be founded on which the amendment was implemented. First, she said, the amendment should be based on China's Constitution and the law's present framework. The perfection of and amendment to the law should be aimed at correcting apparent problems that have arisen while safeguarding women's rights and interests. Second, the law, as the basic law, should be well connected and well coordinated with other laws. Third, Gu said, the amendment must tally with China's economic, social and legal development. It should also suit women's overall interests and be in accordance with work demands on women and the protection of women's rights and interests.

Training Women Village Leaders
On September 15, more than 50 women village leaders, workers from women's federations at the grass-roots level and experts participated in the Second Seminar on Rural Women's Participation in Politics. The seminar's theme was "increasing the ability to participate in politics, promoting rural women's involvement in community development."
During the seminar, participants analyzed the main factors affecting rural women's participation in politics, and discussed the difficulties, problems and possible solutions to rural women's involvement in politics. The participants also discussed ways of ensuring rural women can participate in politics, and how best to strengthen these women's confidence so they will get involved in the management of public affairs. The possibility of establishing a network to support women village leaders across China was also discussed.

More Women Railway Workers Participating in Politics
The percentage of women railway workers involved in politics has increased substantially since 1997. Women workers' understanding of their political rights has been strengthened. Women deputies, from the railway system, to people's congresses at various levels accounted for 19.48 percent of the total deputies; while women members, also from the railway system, to people's political consultative conferences at various levels accounted for 19.62 percent of the total members.
Women workers presented various proposals in light of the development of Chinese railway transportation, and in light of the protection of their own special rights and interests. The women workers' committee of the railway labor union and relevant departments did good jobs for women workers and the percentage of women representatives of the workers' representative conferences at various levels in the field of railway transportation has risen annually, which has reached 18.78 percent.
The women workers' committee emphasized the use and training of women cadres, and created a talent pool to help more excellent women become leaders. By the end of 2002, women leaders in railway transportation accounted for 32.18 percent of the total leaders. Up 1.7 percent compared with 1997.

Using Policies and Funds to Support Women and Children
Guangdong's provincial government strengthened the policy and fund support in 2003 to women and children in mountain areas.
The government developed occupational education in rural areas and expanded employment channels. The Guangdong Women's Federation and the province's Department of Labor and Social Security conducted various training programs for women. They focused on shorter-term training, which cost less but could result in quick benefits. Between January and August, 42 percent of rural women in 16 counties, which offered anti-poverty initiatives, participated in the skills-training programs.
The women's federation conducted a program aimed at creating 10,000 schools and helping one million women attend classes. In Gaozhou, all village committees established rural women's schools, and all directors of women's representative assemblies gained the title of farmer-technician. More than 90 percent of the women participated in skills-training programs. In Meizhou, nearly half of the 310,000 farms, on more than three mu of land, have been developed and operated by women. These farms generate more than 10,000 yuan net income annually.
Guangdong's provincial government chose some enterprises in Zhujiang River Delta to participate in the skills-training program. Children from impoverished families were included in the program to received on-the-job training at these firms. After graduation they were sent to Zhujiang River Delta or local enterprises for employment. This initiative was considered a success.
In 2003, the 16 counties sent 42,000 rural residents--28,000, or 66.6 percent, of whom were women--to work outside their communities.
To support elementary education in mountain communities, Guangdong's provincial government in 2001 stopped charging impoverished families for books required for compulsory education. About 700 million yuan has been invested in the program in the past two years, and nearly two million primary and secondary school students from poor families have benefited. Education departments' statistics indicate the enrollment rate in primary schools in 50 mountain districts and counties in Guangdong Province reached 99.7 percent, while the dropout rate fell 0.16 percent. And no much gap between schoolboys and schoolgirls.

Micro Credit, Great Cause
In December 1999, with the 800,000 yuan they had collected, the Guangxi Women's Federation and the Liuzhou Women's Federation launched a project to help urban laid-off women use micro loans to create jobs. Over the past three years, this work has led to delightful results, and has been recognized by the local government. By the end of March, 2003, 5.133 million yuan in micro loans were distributed. The money helped 2,002 people find jobs, and more than 6,000 others also benefited from the program.
Three years ago, when the project was launched, to ensure its smooth development, the Liuzhou Women's Federation visited many neighborhoods, communities and enterprises in the city to promote the project to laid-off women. This enhanced the women's understanding of the project, and alleviated their concerns about applying for a loan. The federation also offered various training. Through such efforts, more and more laid-off women applied for a loan. Meanwhile, the federation received support--in terms of policies and funding--from the local government. A 3.5-million-yuan revolving fund has been allocated.
While helping laid-off women find jobs, the project also helped some small but promising enterprises provide employment opportunities to laid-off women.
Now the project has achieved good economic and social benefits. It has become a good way of helping laid-off women find reemployment, as well as attracted some laid-off men.

Helping Women Workers in Trouble
In recent years, the women workers' committees of trade unions at all levels in Shandong Province have been carrying out an activity in various forms. They have helped women employees in special circumstances, especially single women employees. Their work has involved: Building a contact system, in which members of the committees and women employees in trouble have formed pairs to help with each other; second, helping laid-off women employees in trouble get reemployed, by offering various technical training activities; and third, doing various things to help women employees in trouble. Some committees have held fund-raising activities, including collecting 10 yuan to donate to others. Other committees have conducted programs aimed at reducing financial stress of women coping with serious illnesses.

Making Migrant Women Feel at Home
Due to the development of the social economy in Guangdong Province in recent years, migrant workers have become the main force of the province's industrial and agricultural production. Migrants now account for 29.28 percent of the province's permanent residents. More than 25.3 million, or nearly 50 percent, of the migrants are women. So, guaranteeing their rights and interests has become a prominent problem for the various levels of government in the province. The governments in Shenzhen and Zhuhai have revised their social insurance regulations. Now, any migrant worker who has joined the insurance plan and has paid for 15 years is considered a permanent resident. These people will receive a monthly pension.
To ensure the regulations were put into effect, governments and women's federations at all levels in Guangdong Province established schools for migrant women. The schools provide job skills training, legal knowledge, and marriage, family and health-care information. The first school opened in 1996 in Sanxiang Town, Zhongshan City. Similar facilities have since opened in Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Foshan and Huizhou.
Every year, the Guangdong Women's Federation sends personnel to take part in supervising law enforcement, which is organized by the provincial government. The women's federation recently formed a team to guarantee women's rights in the workforce, as well as established hotline in every city to ensure women's work-related rights are not violated. The women's federation has encouraged staff to serve on juries in cases--more than 1,400 so far--involving the rights and interests of women and children. The women's federation has also established or perfected 97 branches of women's legal aid centers.

Women's Shelter Opens in Jinan
Recently, an anti-domestic violence shelter for women opened in Jinan City, Shandong Province. The facility is supported by the Women's Legal Aid Center, the Identification Center for Injuries in Domestic Violence, the Correspondence and Visitation Center for Women and the Lawful Service Hotline for Women.
The shelter will serve the women who are victims of domestic violence and who cannot remain in their homes. They can stay at the shelter for free for three days, and then pay a nominal fee per day. At the shelter, they can receive legal advice and emotional and psychological support.
According to the Jinan Women's Federation, the eradication of domestic violence requires a multifaceted approach involving numerous agencies and government departments. Establishment of the shelter will help raise public awareness about the seriousness of the situation, and reiterate that domestic violence is a crime.

Course on China's Experiences in Anti-Domestic Violence
A two-day training course on anti-domestic violence and social gender for police officers was held recently in Hongshunli Community, Tianjin City.
The Community Interference Project for Family Problems is being conducted in Hongshunli. The training course, which was held for the fourth time, was open to the public. Theoretical training helps people understand public security organs, procuratorial organs and people's courts have an equal responsibility to help eradicate domestic violence.
During discussions as part of the course, the police agreed that China should also apply experiences from other nations in the fight against domestic violence.