Combined Fifth and Sixth Periodic Report of States Parties

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Combined fifth and sixth periodic report of States Parties

* The present document is being issued without formal editing. The combined fifth and sixth periodic report of China was received by the Secretariat on 4 February 2004.

For the initial report submitted by the Government of China, see CEDAW/C/5/Add.14, which was considered by the Committee at its third session. For the second periodic report submitted by the Government of China, see CEDAW/C/13/Add.26, which was considered by the Committee at its eleventh session. For the combined third and fourth periodic report submitted by the Government of China, see CEDAW/C/CHN/3-4 and CEDAW/C/CHN/3-4/Add.1 and Add.2, which was considered by the Committee at its twentieth session.

China*

In accordance with article 18, paragraph 1 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter referred to as the Convention), the People’s Republic of China submits hereby to the Secretary-General of the United Nations the combined fifth and sixth periodic report on the implementation of the Convention.

This report comprises three parts: the main part (this document) presents the updates on the Chinese Government’s implementation of the Convention during the four and one-half year period from July 1998 to the end of December 2002; addendum 1 (document CEDAW/C/CHN/5-6/Add.1) is an account presented by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China on the implementation of the Convention in the Region; and addendum 2 (document CEDAW/C/CHN/5-6/Add.2) is an account presented by China’s Macao Special Administrative Region on the implementation of the Convention in that Region. The report was prepared in compliance with the Guidelines on the Form and Content of Reports to be Submitted by States Parties to the International Human Rights Treaties (document HRI/GEN/2/Rev.1/Add.2), adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

Part I

Introduction

The present report, submitted in accordance with article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter referred to as the Convention), is China’s combined fifth and sixth periodic report on the implementation of the Convention to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The report was drafted by the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council (hereinafter referred to as NWCCW), which is the organ of China’s national Government responsible for the affairs of children and women. The following government institutions and agencies participated in the preparation of the report: the National People’s Congress, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Commerce (formerly the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation), the Ministry of Health, the National Population and Family Planning Commission (formerly the State Family Planning Commission), the National Bureau of Statistics, the Office of the Leadership Group for Poverty-Reduction and Development under the State Council, and the General Administration of Sport. In preparing the report, the NWCCW extensively sought input from civil society. The All-China Women’s Federation, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the China Women’s Institute, the China Women Entrepreneurs Association, the China Women Judges Association, the Women’s Studies Institute of China, and other national non-governmental organizations and research institutions also provided relevant information and statistics. The NWCCW held discussions with these institutions and organizations and incorporated their suggestions, and the report has received their concurrence and endorsement.

The report provides updates on China’s implementation of the Convention during the four and one-half year period from July 1998 to the end of 2002. It is divided into two parts: Part I is an overview of the major steps taken by the Chinese Government and the society as a whole to eliminate discrimination against women, and the latest developments in this field, including the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the follow-up to the outcome documents of the 2000 General Assembly Special Session on Women; Part II provides detailed information on the implementation of individual articles of the Convention. China’s combined third and fourth periodic report (document CEDAW/C/CHN/3-4) remains valid. The present report is prepared in compliance with the Guidelines on the Form and Content of Reports to be Submitted by States Parties to the International Human Rights Treaties (document HRI/GEN/2/Rev.1/Add.2), adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

The Chinese Government wishes to reiterate its continued reservation to article 29, paragraph 1 of the Convention.

Implementation of the Convention in China’s Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions is covered in two addenda to this report (document CEDAW/C/CHN/5-6/Adds.1 and 2).

Overview

The Chinese Government has always maintained that gender equality is an important measurement of the development of any society. For many years, the Government has committed itself to women’s development and advancement, making the promotion and realization of gender equality a basic State policy for the social development of the country.

The Chinese Government is also of the view that women’s development is closely linked to the advancement of society as a whole. Gender equality and the advancement of women are closely related to the improvement of the political, economic and social environments which are vital to women’s survival. Vigorous economic development, the elimination of poverty and the promotion of comprehensive social advancement are all prerequisites for women to have the opportunity for broad participation and the achievement of equal rights.

According to its fifth national population census, China’s total population in 2000 was 1,295.33 million people of whom 1,265.83 million were on the mainland. Compared with the fourth census (1990), the population had increased by 132.15 million, or 11.66 per cent, with an average annual growth rate of 1.07 per cent. Of the mainland population, 653.55 million or 51.63 per cent were males, while 612.28 million or 48.37 per cent were females; the sex ratio (female=100) was 106.74; 1,159.40 million or 91.59 per cent were of Han nationality, and 106.43 million or 8.41 per cent were members of national minorities (55 minorities). Compared with the fourth census, the Han population had increased by 11.22 per cent, while the population of national minorities had increased by 16.70 per cent. 22.89 per cent of the total population were in the 0-14 age group, a decrease of 4.80 per cent; 6.96 per cent were in the age group of 65 and over, an increase of 1.39 per cent; 85.07 million or 6.72 per cent were illiterate (i.e. people over 15 years of age who cannot read or can read very little), a decrease of 9.16 per cent; 455.94 million or 36.09 per cent were urban residents, while 807.39 million or 63.91 per cent were rural residents, with the ratio of the former increasing by 9.86 per cent.

Since July 1998, in the process of implementing the Outline of the Ninth Five-Year Plan of the People’s Republic of China for Social and Economic Development and the Long-term Targets for the Year 2010, the Chinese Government, taking coordinated and sustainable economic and social development as its national strategy and guided by the principle of simultaneous material and spiritual advancement, has developed and implemented a series of laws, regulations and policy measures in order to actively facilitate the sustained, rapid and healthy development of the national economy, more quickly meet the basic needs of the poor, improve the environment, establish a basic social security system, further health reform and development, realize universal compulsory education and eliminate illiteracy, and improve the living standards of the entire population, while at the same time promoting the advancement of women and children and endeavouring to convert achievements in economic development into social progress in a timely manner. When developing the nation’s macro policies, the Chinese Government firmly adheres to the principle of equal participation, common development and mutual benefits for men and women; emphasizes that all citizens, regardless of gender, have the same right to participate in national affairs and the life of society, and encourages men and women to join hands in achieving social progress and development. China’s Tenth Five-Year Plan (2001-2005) explicitly undertakes to implement the Programme for the Development of Chinese Women (2001-2010) and the Programme for the Development of Chinese Children (2001-2010) to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of women and children.

China was among the first States parties to accede to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In order to combat and eliminate discrimination against women, and taking into account China’s specific conditions and characteristics, the Chinese Government continues to develop and refine laws and regulations relating to the protection of women’s rights, in compliance with the principles of the Convention and other related international laws and regulations. The Government also formulates a women’s development strategy which incorporates the national development plan, and mobilizes all sectors of society to take a series of measures and actions to effectively uphold and safeguard women’s interests.

Following the consideration of the combined third and fourth periodic reports of China on the implementation of the Convention by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its twentieth session in January 1999, the Chinese Government has attached great importance to the Committee’s consideration and concluding comments, and has taken the following major steps in accordance with the principles of the Convention and on the basis of the Committee’s recommendations:

• The National Working Committee on Children and Women (NWCCW) under the State Council, China’s governmental organ responsible for the advancement of women, convened a special session between March and June 1999, to carefully analyse the considerations, concerns and recommendations of the Committee. By taking into account the challenges and obstacles encountered in the implementation of the Convention, it sought to explore ways of integrating relevant strategies and measures into new legislation and development programmes for women and children. The special session brought together Government departments, public groups and research institutions as well as experts and scholars.

• On the basis of the relevant provisions of the Convention and the concerns of the Committee, the NWCCW has assigned specific tasks to its members (including 24 government departments and five national non-governmental organizations), requesting them to formulate concrete policies, objectives and measures in their respective fields, make an effort to address priority issues and challenges, and coordinate Government resources to provide financial support for efforts to address those issues.

• In upholding the basic strategy of “Ruling the country in accordance with the law and building a socialist country under the rule of law”, the Chinese Government has made ongoing efforts to adopt and refine laws and regulations against the background of emerging issues concerning women’s rights and interests. Since July 1998, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress has successively enacted or amended, inter alia, the Adoption Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Marriage Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Population and Family Planning and the Trade Union Law of the People’s Republic of China, thereby strengthening the protection of women’s rights in terms of subsistence, development, health, education, employment, marriage and family, and reproductive health, in accordance with the principles of gender equality and “children first”. With regard to emerging issues concerning women’s equal rights in rural land contracting, the State Council has adopted regulations providing for the equality of rights and interests for women and men in this area. In August 2002, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress promulgated the Rural Land Contracting Law of the People’s Republic of China, which contains specific provisions for the protection of women’s rights and interests in contracting for and utilizing land.

• In an effort to implement the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the special session of the General Assembly on women, the Chinese Government, on the basis of monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the first Programme for the Development of Chinese Women (1995-2000), officially launched the Programme for the Development of Chinese Women (2001-2010) in May 2001. The Programme for the Development of Chinese Women (2001-2010) includes gender equality in its overall objectives, making it a basic State policy for the enhancement of national social progress. Six areas are identified for priority development: women and the economy, women’s participation in decision-making and management, women and education, women and health, women and law, and women and the environment. At the same time, the Chinese Government formulated the Programme for the Development of Chinese Children (2001-2010), which calls for integrating the spirit of gender equality into the content of education activities, effectively protecting girls’ right to education and eliminating all policies and measures that prevent girls from going to school. Relevant departments of the Government and all local Governments at the provincial level have accordingly formulated their own implementation plans and development initiatives on the basis of overall objectives, major goals, and strategies and measures of the Programme, while taking into account departmental and local realities, so as to enhance the relevance and operability of those plans and initiatives.

• In order to ensure the implementation of laws and regulations that promote gender equality, the National People’s Congress and its relevant functional committees have strengthened their monitoring and research efforts regarding the implementation of laws protecting the rights and interests of women. In 2002, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the promulgation of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women (hereinafter referred to as the Law on the Protection of Women), relevant functional committees of the National People’s Congress reviewed the implementation of the Law. It was concluded that legal awareness regarding the protection of women’s rights has improved continuously throughout society, and that there has been visible progress regarding the protection of women’s rights and interests.