China further promotes women's all-round development

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Under the guidance of "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era," women's federations at all levels have lifted the spirit of the Chinese women and highlighted their self-improvement, perseverance, and wisdom, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhao Leji said on Tuesday.

Zhao, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during his speech on behalf of the CPC Central Committee at the opening ceremony of the 12th National Women's Congress in Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The 12th National Women's Congress opens in Beijing, October 30, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

The meeting was also attended by other leaders of the CPC and the state including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning and Han Zheng, all of whom are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Women are attached with great expectations to act as builders of a great cause, advocators of civilization and fighters who dare to dream, said Zhao in his speech.

We hope Chinese women could work vigorously to achieve the Two Centenary Goals and the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, he added.

Women's all-round development in numbers

China has made headway in promoting women's development in fields like gender equality, education, and health.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, female employees in China made up 43.1 percent of the country's workforce in 2016, exceeding the 40-percent target set in the Program for the Development of Chinese Women (2011-2020).

The 12th National Women's Congress held in Beijing, October 30, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

Compared with the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the 19th National Congress of the CPC had more women delegates, up 1.14 percentage points.

More women are receiving education. In 2016, the country had more than one million female postgraduates, exceeding the number of male postgraduates for the first time to account for 50.6 percent of the country's total.

Women's health has significantly improved. The average life expectancy of women has increased to 79.43 years, and the maternal mortality rate has dropped from 30 per 100,000 in 2010 to 19.6 per 100,000 in 2017.

According to the World Health Organization, China is now one of the top 10 countries in the world in terms of high-level women's and children's health.

(Cover photo: The 12th National Women's Congress opens in Beijing, October 30, 2018. /Xinhua Photo)