To the problem of gender equality and the legal status of women in the modern People's Republic of China

Abstract

China is a developing country with the largest population in the world. Of the total population of 1.3 billion, women make up about half. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, especially after the adoption of reform policies in the late 1970s, along with the continuous growth of the Chinese economy, women have been given more guarantees to realize equal rights and opportunities with men. The state has continuously intensified its efforts to develop, review and enforce relevant laws and regulations to protect women's legitimate rights and interests. A number of measures have been taken to ensure equal employment opportunities for women and men, joint use of economic resources and social development results. Over the past few years, the Chinese government has formulated and implemented support policies that encourage women to start businesses on their own initiative, and provide them with incentives in the form of training subsidies and guaranteed loans. Governments at all levels have also adopted many pro-women policies, such as creating public welfare jobs, opening job centers, monitoring gender-based employment discrimination against women, and helping women find work. The Marriage Law of 2001 confirmed the basic principle of equality between men and women, emphasized the equal status of husband and wife and their equal rights and responsibilities in marriage and family, and added articles on the prohibition of domestic violence and bigamy in order to protect women's rights. At the same time, the government is well aware that in the process of restructuring the economy, China faces new situations and challenges in gender equality and the legal development of women. Chinese women are becoming increasingly diversified in terms of their social status, and therefore their needs for means of livelihood, development and protection of their rights and interests also differ. There is a clear imbalance in the development of women of different regions, social status and groups; the outdated conventions and custom of inequality between men and women, inherited from Chinese history and culture, have not yet been completely eradicated.