Topic: Encouraging Political Participation by Women
Country: China
Delegate Name: Jolie Foor
School: Mattawan High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All China position papers GLIMUN 2017 committees
China recognizes that national governments have the primary responsibility to protect the rights and interests of women, and the international community should assist in these efforts. The international community should promote socioeconomic development to enhance the status of women, which will help develop and empower to increase positive contributions to society. The promotion of gender equality shows the progress of people and is closely related to world development. Currently, women have a limited say in the decisions that affect them. Measures need to be taken to open leadership positions to women participation.
One of the main pressures women face in China today is balancing work and life. China has one of the highest labour force participation rates for women in the world. However, measures to make it easier to have children and also work are lacking. Childcare is extremely expensive, which makes it difficult for working mothers. With only 98 days of mandatory maternity leave, and almost no paternity leave allowed, which forces women to choose careers that aren’t as demanding, as women are expected to raise the children in a family. The People’s Republic of China is willing to work with countries who want to focus on supporting women with families, encouraging them to continue to pursue a career.
China’s UN Women work closely with the All-China Women’s Federation to help increase women’s political participation, with a focus on rural women. By providing training to increase women’s decision making, and working with local and national leaders to set in place policies, this will help encourage political participation. Overall, gender equality has improved drastically since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. In China, girls and boys have, in most areas, equal access to education, which is the foundation for gender equality and job preparation. However, in rural areas, progress is more limited than in cities. China is willing to work with countries who have plans to provide resources to women in rural areas to help educate populations. This, in turn, will help inspire future generations of women and increase the number of females in the workforce.
China understands that legislation and governance in countries needs to include more women’s voices and experiences. Without women, legislation will perpetuate gender inequality, especially when it comes to a country’s national budget. Women want, and need, to make decisions that will impact their families, communities, and countries. China looks forward to developing solutions to support for working women.
