Beijing Women Officials 'Hold Up Half the Sky'

2004-10-27

In the past five years, 3,337 women officials were trained and 717 were recommended for official positions in Beijing. These figures show that Chinese women's ability of joining national and social management teams has been notably enhanced. To date, in municipal government departments, 16.7 percent of bureau rank cadres and 24.4 percent of department rank cadres are women. The proportion is the highest in the country.

The 11th Women's Congress of Beijing will be held between August 9 and 11. Some 520 delegates, including 59 specially invited delegates and 21 non-voting delegates will attend the meeting. Over 90 percent of the attendants have achieved junior college education.

Wu Xiuping, the vice chairwoman of the Beijing Women's Federation, said they had recommended a large group of women who were considered to have both ability and integrity to official positions. Most of them have made great achievements in their careers and are known for their diligence, honesty and contribution to public life. At present, the work of choosing women officials has developed into a beneficial circle system.

According to statistics, 53 percent of technicians and almost half of employees in foreign companies are women. Most of them are undergraduates, graduates with some holding doctorates. They have received plenty of education and now achieve good incomes. Women have now equality in most work appointments and salaries in China.

It is not an exaggeration that Beijing women 'hold up the half sky,', the federation claimed, making reference to Chairman Mao's statement that women are the equal of men.

The federation carries out training for laid-off women and has helped more than 50,000 women to be reemployed.