China's Women's Protection Law to be revised for the First Time in Decades

After a third rewrite and significant public feedback, legislation intended to give Chinese women more protection against gender discrimination and sexual harassment at work was presented to China's parliament.

The revised legislation was released in response to protests from activists who were alarmed by the government's increasing emphasis on traditional women's roles, what some saw as setbacks for women's rights, and more restrictive views on abortion.

But it's unclear how much the updated law will take into account these more conservative viewpoints.

The statute protecting women is being updated for the first time in almost 30 years. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) has received the draught "Women's Rights and Interests Protection Law," according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Tens of thousands of people submitted suggestions for what they would like to see in the most recent draught, according to the NPC, which said on its website that it has not yet been made public.

According to Xinhua, the proposed legislation "strengthens the protection of the rights and interests of disadvantaged groups, such as poor women, elderly women, and disabled women."

Employers will be held accountable for violating the rights and interests of women in the workplace and in social security, and it will be illegal to prevent the rescue of trafficked and kidnapped women.

According to Xinhua, local authorities will also be given guidelines for rescuing trafficked and kidnapped women.

Images of a woman in shackles that were uploaded online at the beginning of this year outraged people and sparked a discussion on how to deal with human trafficking, especially in rural areas where the problem has long been recognised.

The proposed legislation's passage into law has not been given a specific date.