Marriage Laws

Women's rights in China began with the adoption of marriage laws in 1949, when the People's Republic of China was established. However, in many regions of the country, women are still not protected from domestic violence, although the government is drafting new marriage laws.

Government

Laws established in 1949 stated that discrimination against women was unlawful. However, it wasn't until the UN Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 that women's rights were recognized and women gained more political influence.

Education and Employment

Women's rights in China have improved in education and employment; however, it is still hard to get a good job with fair pay, even with a college degree, because they get paid 78 percent less than men.

International Law

The Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, defined women's rights violations for women in China and the rest of the world. Since the latter part of the 20th century and the early part of the 21st century, China has been amending laws concerning women.

All-China Women's Foundation

Established in 2001, the All-China Women's Foundation works to create women's rights initiatives in China on issues such as human trafficking, the one-child policy, abortion, health and education.