Delegates embrace outside the Great Hall of the People to celebrate the International Women's Day after the second plenary meeting of the fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing on March 8, 2022.

China's top legislature will continue to amend the law to address troubling issues in the protection of women's rights and interests, such as sexual harassment and gender discrimination in employment, a spokesperson said on Monday.

The 37th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), will be held in Beijing from October 26 to 30, and the draft amendment to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests will be reviewed.

Zang Tiewei, the spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the NPC, said at a press conference on Monday that the draft amendment has already been reviewed twice, and there will be some important changes in the third reading of the draft.

The revisions will include emphasizing that the government should take necessary measures to promote gender equality, eliminate gender discrimination, and protect women's right to privacy, reputation, and labor and social security.

The draft amendment to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests had already called for mandatory reporting to prevent the trafficking of women in its second review in April 2022.

China's Ministry of Public Security launched a special campaign running from March 1 to December 31 to crack down on the trafficking of women and children, following the tragic case of a trafficked woman in East China's Jiangsu Province, which sparked a huge wave of controversy around the country.

A Beijing-based law expert said that after the amendments, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests can provide more detailed and precise provisions for judges, which will help to promote protection of women's rights.

The draft will also strengthen the rights and interests of elderly women, disabled women and other vulnerable groups, and will regulate media reports on violations of women's right of reputation.

The revised draft makes more comprehensive and systematic provisions for the protection of women's rights and interests in politics, culture and education, labor and social security, marriage and family, so as to ensure that women enjoy extensive, concrete and effective rights and interests in accordance with the law.

The spokesperson also remarked that the revision is based on China's national conditions and does not copy the West's systems and practices. The draft amendment aims to develop a system for protecting women's rights and interests that is appropriate for the current situation under the country's cultural and social background, traditions, and legal system.

Global Times