Speech on the Achievements in and International Exchanges on Protecting Women’s Rights and Interests in China
 

He Shuwen, Deputy Director-General of the Liaison Department of the All-China Women’s Federation
 

(December 4, 2023)
 

 

Good morning! It is a great pleasure to attend the seminar on “Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. Hereby, I sincerely extend my gratitude to Vice Minister Wang Gang, and leaders and colleagues of the Human Rights Affairs Bureau and other bureaus of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), as well as the China Society for Human Rights Studies for their long-term concern, support and guidance for the cause of women and the work of the Women’s Federation.
 

General Secretary Xi Jinping places great importance on protecting the rights and interests of women and other specific groups. He emphasizes that women’s rights and interests are basic human rights. They must be protected by laws and regulations and integrated into national and social rules and norms. The All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) follows the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implements the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, and thoroughly implements General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on respecting and protecting human rights, the work related to women and children, as well as the work of the women’s federations. The Federation solidly promotes the protection of women’s rights and interests in the new era, with positive results achieved.

 

First, the top-level design for the protection of women’s rights and interests has been further improved. The CPC leadership over the work related to women and children as well as the work of the women’s federations has been fully strengthened. It has been consecutively included by three reports to the CPC National Congress to “uphold the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protect the lawful rights and interests of women and children”, while Discourses of Xi Jinping on the Importance of Family, Family Education and Virtues (Excerpts) and Discourses by Xi Jinping on the Work Related to Women and Children as well as the Work of Women’s Federations (Excerpts) have been published, providing the fundamental guidance for the development of women’s cause in the new era. The legal protection has been fully strengthened by establishing a legal system composed of more than 100 laws and regulations for the full protection of women’s rights and interests; further improving judicial interpretations, guidance documents, and guides to typical cases related to prominent issues about women’s rights and interests; and formulating regulations, policies and gender equality evaluation mechanisms. The policy support has been fully strengthened. Promoting gender equality and all-round development of women have been set as a goal and task in a separate chapter of the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development, while new outlines of development plans for women and children have been implemented, to ensure that the cause of women, children and families can be planned, deployed and promoted in phase with economic and social development.

 

Second, women’s rights and interests have become more extensive and adequate. About 44.16 million rural women have shaken off absolute poverty, and an increasing number of women have been covered by all kinds of social insurance. Woman have significantly improved their health, with the average life expectancy exceeding 80 years and the maternal mortality rate falling to 15.7/100,000. The gender gap in compulsory education has been basically eliminated, and it has been a continuous trend that more than half of higher education students are girls. Women have an evidently growing sense of gain, happiness, and security, as well as greater assurance for a better life.
 

Third, the role of women, who “hold up half the sky”, has been displayed in all directions. Women have accounted for more than 40% of total employed persons, 45.8% of technology workers and about one-third of persons engaged in new forms of business such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming. Women have participated in decision-making and management in a more penetrating and extensive way. The proportion of women in delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, deputies to the 14th National People’s Congress and members of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference was 27%, 26.54%, and 22.4%, respectively. In the new era, women will have unprecedented opportunities to make brilliant achievements and show their high-spirited appearance, which was not seen before. They will strive for great rejuvenation and share the glory of the motherland with other people across the country.
 

Dear leaders and colleagues,
 

Since the publication of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 75 years ago, China has constantly abided by the spirit of the Declaration to promote development through cooperation and advance human rights through development. China has fully participated in the governance of global human rights and striven to promote the cause of human rights in the world. The protection of women's rights and interests is an important part of the cause of human rights in China. Given the current severe and complex international situation when the United States and other Western countries keep suppressing and defaming China with human rights issues, the situation of women’s human rights in China has received extensive attention from the international community. The ACWF has implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions about foreign-related work of human rights, and relevant decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee, to make solid progress in foreign-related work of women’s human rights through the initiative at a higher position. First, the global partnership has been developed to tell stories about the human rights of Chinese women in all ways and through multiple channels. Focusing on themes such as major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, poverty reduction and development, and joint building of the Belt and Road, the ACWF has organized the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum on Women's Education and Poverty Reduction, China-Africa Women’s Forum, China-Central Asia Women’s Forum, China-ASEAN Women’s Forum, Silk Road Women's Forum and other activities, enabling the international community to more clearly and directly learn the source of driving forces for the rapid development of women’s cause in China, as well as great achievements in this respect. The ACWF held the theme conference to promote the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, helped the “Spring Bud Project” win the UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education 2023 and carried out the “Female Diplomats Looking China” activity to publicize the achievements of women’s cause in China, and vividly present the Chinese sample and experience. Second, the obligation of international human rights has been conscientiously fulfilled through in-depth participation in international dialogues on human rights. Huang Xiaowei, deputy head of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, vice president and first member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, led a Chinese government delegation to participate in the ninth performance report review conducted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on China’s implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in Geneva this May. Through constructive dialogues with the Committee, Huang Xiaowei presented China’s policies, practices and historic achievements in promoting gender equality and women’s overall development to show China’s image as an open and confident big country that values human rights and keeps promises. In cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant departments, the ACWF has supported the Human Rights Council in its human rights review by country and performance report reviews on fulfilling international human rights conventions such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, fully showcasing China’s extraordinary achievements in the cause of human rights from the perspective of women. Third, the discourse power and influence have been enhanced through constructive participation in the communication of women under the United Nations (UN) and multilateral mechanisms. The ACWF has taken part in communication and cooperation of women under the frameworks of the UN, the Group of Twenty, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, BRICS countries and the SCO to publicize China’s ideas, achievements and contributions, put forward China’s core initiative in the setting of topics and the negotiation about documents, recommend outstanding women in business and academic circles as candidates for relevant awards, and thus enhance China’s international discourse power and influence in issues about women.
 

At the 13th National Women’s Congress held in Beijing in October this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping and other party and state leaders attended and expressed congratulations. Xi Jinping talked collectively with members of the new leadership of the ACWF and delivered an important speech. He spoke highly of the important role played by women in the development of the cause of the Party and the state, fully affirmed the historic achievements made in the cause of women in the new era, and was full of cordial care for hundreds of millions of women. He gave great encouragement and inspiration to women’s federations and pointed out the way forward for the work of women in the new era and new journey. We will continue to adhere to the guidance of XI Jinping's Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly study, publicize and implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, anchor the goals and tasks of the 13th National Women’s Congress, unswervingly follow the path of women’s development with Chinese characteristics, and contribute women’s strength to the development and progress of China’s human rights cause, the construction of a strong country and the realization of national rejuvenation!