China to promote women's equal political participation

China will continue its efforts to promote women's equal participation in the management of state and social affairs, a government action plan released on Monday said.

The state will gradually increase the proportion of women representatives in the national and local people's congresses and political consultative conferences, said the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2012-2015) published by China's State Council Information Office (SCIO).

China will make sure that the people's congresses, governments, and political consultative conferences at the provincial and municipal levels as well as county-level governments include at least one female member in the leadership, it said.

The state will gradually increase the proportion of women holding principal leading positions in the leadership of local governments and departments at and above the county level, the action plan said.

The proportion of women on boards of directors and boards of supervisors as well as the leadership of enterprises, and the proportion of women representatives at workers' conferences and faculty congresses will also be increased, it said.

There should also be a certain proportion of women members in village committees and community committees, it said.

The state makes efforts to eliminate gender discrimination in employment, guarantee women's right to having equal access to economic resources and to participating in economic development, raise the level of reproductive health services for women, the action plan said.

The state will prevent and prohibit domestic violence against women, crack down on the crimes of abducting and trafficking in women, strengthen the statistical work on gender data to promote gender equality and guarantee the lawful rights and interests of women, it said.