While addressing the fifth National Work i ng Conference on Women and Children, Premier Wen Jiabao highlighted the importance of women and children's well-being. He said women and children, who make up twothirds of the country's 1.3 billion strong population, are an "important force for romoting national development and social progress."

Wen, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that women “give light to families,” and added they deserve to be respected. "Women can hold up half of the sky. Without their active role, there will be no social reform," he said.

"The social status of the female population indicates the level of social progress (of a nation), while children are the future and hope of a nationality and a nation," Wen said.

The Communist pa r t y and the government have always attached great importance to women and children's issues, Wen said, noting China has issued specific laws to protect women and children's rights. Also, he added, organizations have been set up to implement the government's plans regarding the development of women and children's rights.

Since the turn of the century, the government has implemented several policies and under taken various measures to protect women's political, economic, cultural and social rights and children's growth, education and other rights, Wen said. The government will implement the two programs for the development of women and children (Program for the Development of Chinese Women [2011-2020] and National Program of Action for Child Development [2011-2020]) over the next 10 years, Wen added.

Still , some problems must be addressed; for example, gender inequality remains , as does the traditional Chinese belief that women are inferior to men. In addition, newer problems, such as left-behind women and children in the countryside and migrant women and children in the cities, have emerged.

Wen said government, which has a heavy responsibility when it comes to women and children's causes, must reinforce its work. Wen specifically mentioned implementation of the two programs and the promotion of women and children's work. He added government must care for women's overall development and implement the basic State policy on gender equality. He said the government will oppose gender discrimination and work hard to ensure women are on an equal footing with men when participating in the country's economic, political, cultural and social development.

Read more please subscribe to January Issue of Women of China English Monthly