Volunteers and teachers from a primary school make paper items in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 6, 2025. /Xinhua

Editor's note: Dai Ruijun, a special commentator for CGTN, is secretary-general of the Gender and Law Research Center at the Institute of International Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The rule of law is the most effective safeguard for human rights and China remains committed to protecting women's rights in accordance with the law. Respect for women's rights and their protection is embedded in the entire process of sound legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial administration of justice and society-wide observance of the law.

The protection of women's rights has been elevated to a matter of national will and internalized as a social code of conduct. As a result, the legal protection of women's rights in China has reached new and higher levels.

Legislation to protect women's rights has made significant breakthroughs. Since 2012, China's legal framework for safeguarding women's rights has developed rapidly. The adoption of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, with dedicated sections on "Personality Rights" and "Marriage and Family," provides comprehensive protection for women's personal rights, property rights and marital and family interests.

Amendments to the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China address the offense of sexual assault by individuals with caregiving responsibilities and mandate criminal accountability for those who pay traffickers for women and children, while imposing harsher penalties for rape and sexual abuse of minors.

China enacted its first specialized law on preventing and stopping domestic violence, the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, in 2016. In addition, provincial legislatures have issued over 30 local regulations to improve supporting mechanisms such as personal safety protection orders and domestic violence warning systems, advancing the fight against domestic violence.

By the end of October 2024, people's courts at all levels had issued a total of 26,000 personal safety protection orders, both the number and rate of issuance increasing steadily year by year.

Moreover, the comprehensive revision of the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests addresses women's legal protection needs in political participation, personal and personality rights, property rights, education and cultural rights. It also addresses labor and social security, as well as marriage and family rights.

Through improved institutional design and more accessible relief channels, China's legal system for safeguarding women's rights has become increasingly robust and well-structured.

To eliminate discrimination against women at its root, both the central government and all 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China have established mechanisms for gender equality assessment in laws and policies. The 2022 revision of the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests formally recognized this system at the legislative level. Under the law, the authorities are required to conduct gender equality assessments when formulating or amending laws, regulations, rules and normative documents concerning women's rights, in order to prevent or promptly rectify any content that may involve gender discrimination.

Across the country, local governments have conducted such assessments, promoting the integration of the fundamental national policy of gender equality and the formulation and implementation of laws and policies.

A white paper titled "China's Achievements in Women's Well-Rounded Development in the New Era" is released by the State Council Information Office, September 19, 2025. /Xinhua

Law enforcement and judicial protection of women's rights have become increasingly concrete and effective. The third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China last year adopted a resolution to deepen reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization. It emphasized the need to provide more effective human rights protection through law enforcement and administration of justice, underscoring their crucial role in upholding justice. In recent years, efforts to protect women's rights through law enforcement and judicial mechanisms have turned the decisions enshrined in legal texts into rights enjoyed in practice.

Since 2013, China's public security organs have continuously carried out special operations to combat the trafficking of women and children. The Supreme People's Court (SPC) and the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) have issued judicial interpretations and documents addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, abandonment and abuse, imposing severe penalties on crimes that violate the personal rights of women and girls.

The Civil Code has expanded the range of entities responsible for preventing and stopping sexual harassment, while the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests refined the measures for its prevention and response. The SPC has also added disputes over liability for sexual harassment damages as an independent cause of action, forming a multidimensional system for the prevention, accountability and remedy of sexual harassment.

Procuratorial organs carry out public interest litigations to protect women's rights. From 2023 to 2024, procuratorates nationwide filed over 3,000 public interest cases related to equal employment, special labor protections for female workers, personality and health rights, domestic violence and the protection of the rights of vulnerable or disadvantaged women.

Efforts to expand legal aid and judicial assistance have been strengthened. The Legal Aid Law, implemented in 2022, stipulates that victims of domestic violence are entitled to legal aid regardless of their financial status. Since then, the SPP, in collaboration with the All-China Women's Federation, has carried out a special judicial assistance campaign, providing aid to more than 70,000 women who fell into hardship as a result of legal cases.

Public education and capacity building for the protection of women's rights under the rule of law have been advanced comprehensively and in a sustained manner. Laws and regulations safeguarding women's rights have been incorporated into the national plan for improving legal awareness. Judicial and administrative departments have made full use of legal aid workstations, liaison points and public legal service platforms to establish a "30-minute legal aid service circle" for women.

The national women's rights protection hotline 12338 provides women with legal and policy consultation, psychological support, family education guidance and marriage and family counseling. It also helps identify and refer potential violations and risks to the authorities for timely intervention.

Women's federations at all levels have carried out extensive legal awareness campaigns on preventing domestic violence, employment-related gender discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault, while also offering consultation services and handling women's complaints.

Through continuous education on the rule of law, women's capacity to safeguard their rights in accordance with legal procedures has been significantly enhanced, and society's overall awareness of protecting women's rights steadily increased. Gender equality is gradually becoming a widely accepted social norm and a shared moral value.