The 12th National Women's Congress has opened in Beijing. Delegates at the  four-day event will hear and deliberate on a work report by the 11th Executive  Council of the All-China Women's Federation, amend the federation's constitution and elect new leadership. For more on gender equity in China, our reporter Feng Yilei brings us some insights into opinions across society on the government's achievements so far. 

Putting women on an equal footing is not just an empty slogan for the government. China has been progressively improving its regulations and policies on equality. The country is pressing forward steadily with plans to achieve women's all-round development, and encouraging women's participation in national economic growth and decision-making. As a result of these efforts, figures now suggest increasing numbers of women are taking part in the world's of higher education, business and politics.

FENG YILEI BEIJING "Questions arise as data shows progress in China's gender equality: do people actually see more changes in women's rights? We took to the streets to see what people think."

PROFESSOR HE QUNPO COMMUNICATION UNIVERSITY OF CHINA "The social status of Chinese women is exactly the same as that of men, owing to the legal guarantees and women's rising awareness of equality."

WANG QICHEN STUDENT "Society now pays more attention to women, having more tolerance and expectations for them, yet asking for more from them at the same time."

YAN KEMEI, DIRECTOR OFFICE OF CPC & GOV'T AFFAIRS, DANGYANG VILLAGE "As the first college graduate in our village, I have benefited from equal access education. Also, the government allows more female cadres like me to play a part in administration and discussion of state affairs."

One of the major improvements, according to many, is that Chinese women now have more advantages, opportunities and freedom to pursue their career. Some say "girl power" is become a popular concept in the workplace.

ZHANG SHENGLI, RETIRED RESEARCHER CENTRAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS "There is no inequality in the single-child generation when it comes to higher education. Nowadays, girls seem to be more highly educated than boys, so they find employment easily and earn more than boys."

LI YANCHEN STUDENT "Nowadays, there are many high positions held by women. I think it's more about competence, if she has the right abilities, her position will be recognized, and she will be admired by people."

Many believe women's status in the family has also improved along with their growing economic independence. But meanwhile, females experience more pressure from fierce competition and social norms.

FANG DANDAN OFFICE WORKER "The marriage age of women is now generally delayed. They have a wider choice. This phenomenon is more common in big cities. Women now, with their career independence and better education, have more freedom over marriage."

ZHAO LIANG STUDENT "Most women get a job and then an income. But I think the biggest contradiction is women's choice between the responsibility of family and society, they have difficulty in making choices."

GANG YAYING BEIJING RESIDENT "Women have to return to the family. Now that everyone has a job, it's impossible to be absolutely fair. When you have a good career, a family life will certainly be out of your reach."

Despite women's increasingly equal status, there's still a long way to go to deal with the subtle but important imbalance between the genders in Chinese society. FYL, CGTN, BJ.