(Reuters) China on Sunday passed legislation to give women more protection against gender discrimination and sexual harassment, news agency Reuters reported. The development – said to be a first in 30 years – came days after the legislation was submitted to the country's parliament following a third revision after some concerns were flagged by the activists. They had pointed out the government's increasing rhetoric on the value of traditional roles for women, including restrictive attitudes on abortion, which they said were setbacks for women's rights.
Here is what we know so far on the revised legislation on women's protection.
It was not immediately clear to what extent the conservative attitudes criticised by some will be reflected in the new law.
This revision to women's law in China is said to have happened for the first time in nearly 30 years.
The bill titled 'Women's Rights and Interests Protection Law' was declared passed on the National People's Congress (NPC) website on Friday. The revised law will be adopted from 2023.
Chinese news agency Xinhua earlier reported that the legislation "strengthens the protection of the rights and interests of disadvantaged groups such as poor women, elderly women, and disabled women".
The agency was further cited as saying that employers will be held accountable if women's labour and social security rights and interests are violated.
The bill reportedly also said obstruction to the rescue of trafficked and kidnapped women will be considered an "offence" and the responsibility of local authorities to deal with such cases will also be set out. An image of a woman in chains had earlier caused outrage online and triggered concerns about the handling of human trafficking in China.
