Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 In accordance with the Constitution and the actual conditions of the country, this Law is formulated to protect women's lawful rights and interests, promote the equality between men and women and allow full play to women's role in socialist modernization.

Article 2 Women shall enjoy equal rights with men in all aspects of political, economic, cultural, social and family life.

Equality between men and women is a basic State policy. The State takes the necessary measures to gradually improve the systems for protecting the rights and interests of women, in order to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women.

The State protects the special rights and interests enjoyed by women according to law.

Discriminating against, maltreating, abandoning, and physically abusing women are prohibited.

Article 3 The State Council shall formulate an outline for the development of Chinese women and include such outline in the national economic and social development plan.

Local people’s governments at or above the county level shall, in accordance with the outline for the development of Chinese women, formulate programs for the development of women in their respective administrative regions and include the programs in their national economic and social development plans.

Article 4 The protection of women's lawful rights and interests is a common responsibility of the whole society. State organs, public organizations, enterprises and institutions as well as urban and rural mass organizations of self-government at the grass-roots level shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other relevant laws, protect women's rights and interests.

The State takes effective measures to provide necessary conditions for women to exercise their rights according to law.

Article 5 The State encourages women to cultivate a sense of self-respect, self-confidence, self-reliance and self-strengthening, and to safeguard their own lawful rights and interests by utilizing law.

Women shall abide by the laws of the State, respect social morality and perform their obligations prescribed by law.

Article 6 People’s government at all levels shall attach great importance to and strengthen the protection of the rights and interests of women.

Institutions in charge of work for women and children under the people’s governments at or above the county level shall be responsible to organize, coordinate, direct and urge the relevant departments concerned to ensure the protection of women’s rights and interests.

The relevant departments of the people’s governments at or above the county level shall, within the scope of their duties, ensure the protection of women’s rights and interests.

Article 7 The All-China Women’s Federation and local women’s federations at various levels shall, in accordance with law and the Constitution of the All-China Women’s Federation, represent and uphold the interests of women of all nationalities and all walks of life, and strive to safeguard the rights and interests of women.

The trade unions and the Communist Youth League organizations shall, within the scope of their respective work, strive to safeguard the rights and interests of women.

Article 8 People's governments at various levels and relevant departments shall commend and award those organizations and individuals that have made notable achievements in the protection of women's lawful rights and interests.

Chapter II Political Rights

Article 9 The State guarantees that women enjoy equal political rights with men.

Article 10 Women have the right to conduct State affairs, manage economic and cultural undertakings and administer social affairs through various channels and in various ways.

When formulating laws, regulations, rules and public policies, the relevant departments shall, where major questions related to women’s rights and interests are concerned, listen to the opinions of the women’s federations.

Women and women’s organizations shall have the right to advance their opinions and suggestions to State organs at various levels with regard to protection of the rights and interests of women.

Article 11 Women enjoy the equal right, with men, to vote and to stand for election.

Among deputies to the National People’s Congress and local people’s congresses at various levels, there shall be an appropriate number of women deputies. The State takes measures to gradually increase the proportion of the women deputies among deputies to the National People’s Congress and local people’s congresses at various levels.

Among members of the residents’ committees and villager’s committees, there shall be an appropriate number of women members.

Article 12 The State actively trains and selects female cadres.

State organs, public organizations, enterprises and institutions shall, in training, selecting and appointing cadres, adhere to the principle of equality between men and women, and there shall be an appropriate number of women leading members.

The State attaches great importance to the training and selection of female cadres of minority nationalities.

Article 13 The All-China Women’s Federation and local women’s federations at various levels shall represent women to take an active part in democratic decision-making, management and supervision of State and social affairs.

Women's federations at various levels and their member organizations may recommend female cadres to State organs, public organizations, enterprises or institutions.

Article 14 The departments concerned shall listen to and accept criticisms or rational suggestions regarding the protection of women's rights and interests; with respect to complaints or charges against, or exposures of infringement upon women's rights and interests, the departments concerned must ascertain the facts, and be responsible for their disposition; no organization or individual may suppress such complaints, charges or exposures or resort to retaliation.

Chapter III Rights and Interests Relating to Culture and Education

Article 15 The State guarantees that women enjoy equal rights with men with respect to culture and education.

Article 16 Schools and departments concerned shall, by implementing the relevant regulations of the State, guarantee that women enjoy equal rights with men in such aspects as starting school, entering a higher school, job assignment upon graduation, conferment of academic degrees and dispatch for study abroad.

With exception of special subjects, no schools shall, in enrolling students, refuse to enroll women on the pretext of sex or raise the enrollment standards for women.

Article 17 Schools shall, in line with the characteristics of female adolescents, take measures in respect of education, management and facilities so as to ensure female adolescents' sound development in body and in mind.

Article 18 Parents or other guardians must perform their duty of ensuring that female school-age children or adolescents receive the compulsory education.

Where parents or other guardians fail to send female school-age children or adolescents to school, the local people's governments shall admonish and criticize them and, by adopting effective measures, order them to send their female school-age children or adolescents to school, with the exception of those who, on account of illness or other special circumstances, are allowed by the local people's governments not to go to school.

The governments, society and schools shall take effective measures to solve the actual difficulties of female school-age children or adolescents in schooling and create the necessary conditions to ensure that the needy, disabled and migrant female school-age children or adolescents finish compulsory education.

Article 19 People's governments at various levels shall, in accordance with relevant regulations, incorporate the work of elimination of illiteracy or semi-literacy among women into plans for illiteracy elimination and post-elimination education, adopt organizational forms and working methods suitable to women's characteristics, and organize and supervise the relevant departments in the implementation of such plans.

Article 20 People’s governments at various levels and the departments concerned shall, in light of the need of urban and rural women, take measures to organize women in receiving vocational education and practical technological training.

Article 21 State organs, public organizations, enterprises and institutions shall, by implementing relevant regulations of the State, ensure that women enjoy equal rights with men in their participation in scientific, technological, literary, artistic and other cultural activities.