WILPF/PeaceWomen themes covered:

General Women, Peace and Security:  2/16

Conflict Prevention:  4/16

Disarmament:  0/16

Displacement and Humanitarian Response:  2/16

Participation: 2/16

Peace Processes: 2/16

Peacekeeping: 1/16

Protection: 2/16

Reconstruction and Peacebuilding: 0/16

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: 1/16

Implementation: 0/16

Justice, Rule of Law, SSR: 3/16

Human Rights: 3/16

On average China covered  11 % of WPS concepts in the open debates in 2019. While China made some notable references on conflict prevention and the need to address the root causes of violence, most of these statements were focussed on development, which is a key aspect of China’s strategic ambitions on the world stage. 

WILPF/PeaceWomen themes covered:

General Women, Peace and Security: 0/2

Conflict Prevention: 1/2

Disarmament: 0/2

Displacement and Humanitarian Response: 0/2

Participation: 0/2

Peace Processes: 0/2

Peacekeeping: 0/2

Protection: 0/2

Reconstruction and Peacebuilding: 0/2

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: 0/2

Implementation: 0/2

Justice, Rule of Law, SSR: 0/2

Human Rights: 0/2

WILPF/PeaceWomen themes covered:

General Women, Peace and Security: 0/1

Conflict Prevention: 0/1

Disarmament: 0/1

Displacement and Humanitarian Response: 0/1

Participation: 0/1

Peace Processes: 0/1

Peacekeeping: 0/1

Protection: 0/1

Reconstruction and Peacebuilding: 0/1

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: 0/1

Implementation: 0/1

Justice, Rule of Law, SSR: 1/1

Human Rights: 0/1

WILPF/PeaceWomen themes covered:

General Women, Peace and Security: 0/1

Conflict Prevention: 1/1

Disarmament: 0/1

Displacement and Humanitarian Response: 0/1

Participation: 0/1

Peace Processes: 0/1

Peacekeeping: 1/1

Protection: 0/1

Reconstruction and Peacebuilding: 0/1

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: 0/1

Implementation: 0/1

Justice, Rule of Law, SSR: 1/1

Human Rights: 0/1

In 2019, China did not offer any new commitments nor did it provide updates on past commitments. 

Arms Transfer Revenue, Total Contribution in 2018: 1,566,000,000 billion 

UN Women Government Total Contribution in 2018: $2,000,000 

Military Expenditure in 2018: $250 billion. 

In 2018, China was ranked 39 of 189 countries. 

Researcher’s Note: The figures used above are from the 2019 Human Development Report which has the rankings for 2018. The 2020 Human Development Report is not published as of October 2020. Consultations have been scheduled till December 2020 and “the work on the 2020 HDR will continue through the summer and fall”.

China was ranked 103 among 149 participating countries in 2018.

Researcher’s note:  In 2019, WEF published the Gender Gap Report 2020 instead of a Gender Gap Report 2019. This was done to change the launch of their Gender Gap Report series to the first quarter of every year.  The above-mentioned data reflects the rank tabulated using sources from 2019 as indicated in the report (see resource 1).  

Researcher’s Note: China has acceded to the following treaties: Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, to The Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime; Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II).

Contingent: 2363 men, 74 women, 2437 total 

Experts on Mission: 25 men,  2 women, 27  total 

Police: 23 men, 3 women, 26 total 

Staff: 50 men,  5 women, 55 total 

Total peacekeepers provided: 2461 men, 84 women, 2545 total 

The operations with the most Chinese personnel are UNMISS (South Sudan), MINUSMA (Mali) , and UNIFIL (Lebanon). China’s peacekeeping deployments are done strategically to suit Chinese investments and growing influence in Africa. For instance, in South Sudan where China has over 1000 peacekeepers deployed, the country also has energy interests. 

Researcher’s Note: While all the Permanent Five countries focus on peacekeeping as an important element of the WPS agenda and to tackle sexual violence in conflict settings, WILPF believes that to fully prevent all forms of sexual violence it is essential to address the root causes of violence, including structural inequalities, discrimination and patriarchal norms. 

While no Chinese peacekeepers were involved in SEA in the reported cases in 2019, China has tried to curb safeguards to address sexual violence and protect women’s rights in peacekeeping missions. In particular, since 2017, China used its financial leverage in peacekeeping budgets to cut the number of U.N. human rights officials attached to the U.N. missions. 

In 2019, the Chinese government tightened its control over civil society associations, continuing a years-long crackdown with new criminal prosecutions of web editors, labour rights activists and human rights lawyers as well as scrutinizing foreign NGOs. Moreover, the government has also continued to actively repress activism around sexual harassment and domestic violence. 

The freedom house report scored China, 0 out of 4 in terms of freedom of NGOs in 2019.  “The ability of civil society organizations to engage in work related to human rights and governance is extremely constrained and has decreased under a 2017 law on foreign NGOs and 2016 legislation governing philanthropy, which significantly reduced civic groups’ access to funding from foreign sources and increased supervision and funding from the government. The space for organizations to operate without formal registration, a previously common practice, has also shrunk, although some continue to do so. Several prominent NGOs that focused on policy advocacy, including in less politically sensitive areas like public health or women’s rights, have been shuttered in recent years under government pressure. In July 2019, state security agents in Hunan Province detained three staff members of Changsha Funeng, an NGO that advocates for people with stigmatized diseases, on charges of “subverting state power.” Hundreds of thousands of NGOs are formally registered in China, but many operate more as government-sponsored entities and focus on service delivery. 

The foreign NGO law that took effect in 2017 restricts the operations of foreign NGOs in China, requires them to find a Chinese sponsor entity and register with the Ministry of Public Security, and gives police the authority to search NGOs’ premises without a warrant, seize property, detain personnel, and initiate criminal procedures. Hundreds of foreign NGOs have registered offices or temporary activities, though the vast majority are trade and agricultural associations, or groups involved in issues such as cultural exchange, public health, education, or the rights of people with disabilities. A list of sponsoring Chinese entities documented by the ChinaFile NGO Project indicated a heavy presence of state and CCP-affiliated organizations. During 2019, at least 11 foreign NGOs chose to deregister, an increase over two that had done the same in 2018. In November 2019, Chinese officials announced that US-based public health NGO Asia Catalyst had been formally investigated for violating the law and would face penalties, though the facts behind the accusation were in dispute.” 

Further, the Chinese government within its framework of consultative authoritarianism aims to support only “civil society with Chinese characteristics”.According to the DOC Research Institute, “a Chinese civil society of this kind could identify socially innovative projects, experiment with new work methods, and engage in international cooperation but remain embedded within a system of governance steered by the administration, in close collaboration with the Chinese Communist Party.” These NGOs also receive more funding from the government. Over the years, the influence of the ruling Communist party on Chinese NGOs has increased through mandatory meetings on issues proposed by party members and reporting requirements. 

The Anti-Extradition Bill movement sparked in 2019 in Hong Kong witnessed police brutality on protestors, including evidence of torture and other ill-treatment in detention. Particularly, the changes proposed to the extradition laws will have severe implications for activists, human rights defenders and social workers working in Hong Kong on human rights issues in China. According to Human Rights Watch, “The proposed extradition revisions will give the Chinese government a legal tool to take people in Hong Kong into custody, which will have a rippling, chilling effect on free speech in Hong Kong.” 

China continues to illegally detain and oppress members of the Uighur ethnic Muslim minority in its Xinjiang region. They have detained at least 800,000 Uighur, ethnic Kazakhs and other Muslim minorities since April 2017. A recent report released by Australian Strategic Policy Institute states that they have identified 380 “suspected detention facilities” in northwest Xinjiang.  China also continues to forcefully imprison Tibetans linked to the 2008 protests, moreover, Chinese authorities restricted and evicted local NGOs that received foreign funding and international NGOs that provided assistance to Tibetan communities. 

Spotlight. All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF), is one of the oldest and single largest women’s rights organizations in China. It works under the auspices of the ruling party by promoting government policies on women and lobbying for women’s rights within the government. Some of their main tasks include representing women in democratic decision making, safeguarding the legitimate rights of women, and to care about women’s working and living conditions. The ACWF operates a national legal assistance center, coupled with women's rights hotline "12338" and the domestic violence hotline "16838198." The various projects they undertake currently vary from focus on women’s health, family and well-being programs, programs for rural women, entrepreneurship and poverty alleviation.

Researcher’s Note: There is a lack of data available in English regarding the nature of the training received by law enforcement officials in China. However, research indicated that gender-sensitive training objectives for law enforcement do not exist in China. 

China receives 0% because: As of 2019, China has not yet drafted a 1325 National Action Plan nor had it expressed its intentions to do so.

China also continued to retain its position as the world’s second largest military spender in 2019. Moreover, its military burden remains at 1.9 percent of the GDP in 2019. China’s military expenditure increased by 85 % between 2010 and 2019, the largest increase among the top 15 military spenders in the world.  

10% of ministerial positions were held by women in China in 2018

According to the most recent data available, China has 1.9 million police officers. However, disaggregated data is unavailable. 

Currently, among the 16 Supreme People’s Court Leaders, only one Justice is a woman. 

The most latest data available on women in Chinese judiciary indicates that:  “In 2010, there were about 45,000 female judges, which represent one-quarter of judges. There are only 252 female presidents of China’s courts at various levels, making up about 7 percent.”

The following figures provide additional insight into women’s participation, standing and experience within the labour force in China in 2019: 

• The estimated average earned income per year (US$): $12,200  for women; $19,900 for men.   
• Legislators, senior officials and managers: 16.8 % for women; 83.3% for men.
• Professional and technical workers:  51.7 % for women;  48.3% for men.

In 2018, enrolment in secondary education in China was: 47.1% girls and 52.9% boys. 

The non-discrimination laws in China include: The Labor Law , the Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests , the Employment Promotion Law, and the Provisions on Employment Services and Employment Management.

China has laws that prohibit gender discrimination in employment, however job discrimination via discriminatory job advertisements, remains a widespread problem. Although the anti-gender discrimination laws exist in China, they do not provide specific enforcement mechanisms and as a result are not effectively enforced. Moreover, in 2019, China introduced new rules to clarify gender equality laws and expanding women’s workplace protections. 

In 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme People’s Court along with other departments issued “the Notice” - Circular about further regulating recruitment and promoting women’s employment. The Notice regarded gender equality as the basic national policy of China and aimed to “encourage wider and deeper participation of women in social and economic activities” by “standardizing recruitment practices and promoting equal employment for women.” 

The Criminal Code of China does not contain any provisions under which abortion, performed with the consent of the pregnant woman, constitutes an offence. According to Article 19 of Law on Maternal and Infant Health Care, abortion are free and shall be subject to the consent and signing of the person.In 2016, China extended their paid maternity leave to an additional one to three months from 14 weeks in 2012. 

Women in China received the right to vote and stand for election in 1949. However, a wide gender gap among voters has been noticed in China. 

Courts in China have established special collegial panels taking into account the particular interests of women and girls, along with family courts to properly try cases of marriage and family disputes and protect women's legitimate rights and interests in emotional distress compensation and property division. “The law also established a special body tasked with monitoring gender equality. Created in 1990, the National Working Committee on Children and Women (NWCCW) has been commissioned to organize, coordinate, guide, supervise and urge departments concerned in promoting gender equality and women's development. Its membership consists of various government ministries and social organizations.”

Access to justice in China has been undermined in various ways, particularly, by the forced closure of women’s legal aid organizations in 2016.

China does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking. 

From the 2020 Trafficking in Persons Report: 

"The government decreased efforts to protect victims. For the third consecutive year, the government did not report the number of victims it identified, although media reports indicated authorities continued to remove some victims from their exploitative situations. Based on court data and media reports, authorities did not identify any male victims during the reporting period. Authorities claimed to have tracked and rescued more than 4,000 missing children through the use of an app-based system, including as many as 120 trafficking victims, but they did not provide any information on formal identification or referral measures for these children. The PRC lacked a standardized national referral mechanism, but MPS maintained written instructions promulgated in 2016 for law enforcement officers throughout the country aiming to clarify procedures for identifying trafficking victims among individuals in commercial sex and forced or fraudulent marriage. MPS officials reportedly maintained a procedure to screen for trafficking indicators among individuals arrested for alleged prostitution. A 2016 policy limiting the detention of such individuals to 72 hours remained in place. Despite the existence of these procedures, and contrary to the aforementioned policy, law enforcement officials continued to arrest and detain foreign women on suspicion of prostitution crimes without screening them for indicators of sex trafficking—sometimes for as long as four months—before deporting them for immigration violations.”

China’s first domestic violence law came into effect in 2016. While the law is a result of decade-long advocacy by civil society, its existence has also coincided with a crackdown on civil society in China. However, the law does not cover divorced couples or former partners, nor does it address sexual abuse or economic control. 

The Chinese Criminal law does not specifically address sexual violence but does criminalise rape. The definition of rape, which is based on the lack of consent, only applies to female victims and it is punishable by a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment. 

There has been documented repression of civil society activism against domestic violence and sexual harassment in China.

In 2019, China’s Ministry of Veterans Affairs announced that it will be increasing assistance in terms of funds and goods and services to veterans who struggle due to disability, serious illness or injury as a result of military service.

According to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, in 2018, local governments provided more than 80,000 former military officers with civilian jobs and helped over 400,000 retired soldiers resettle. Education and training for veterans was also strengthened in 2018. Moreover, currently, a draft law is in place that includes provisions on job placement, employment, favourable treatment and pensions of ex-servicemen. 

In 2018, the Supreme Court added sexual harassment to a list of “causes of action”, facilitating victim redressal. However, China continues to lack robust laws against sexual harassment. 

Through the domestic violence law that was implemented in 2016, the courts in China issued 5,749 protection orders for domestic violence victims in 2019. The number of protection orders has increased every year from 687 in 2016 to 2,004 in 2019.  However, despite considerable progress since 2016, China still lacks comprehensive national implementation guidelines for the law, which is required to standardize procedures for protecting victims. 

The Chinese Ministry of Justice operates "148" hotline for legal services for domestic violence, and the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) operates a women's rights hotline "12338" as well as a domestic violence hotline "16838198." The CEASE Crisis Centre operates a 24-hour hotline for sexual violence "18281."

From the 2020 Trafficking in Persons Report: 

“In prior years, the government reported maintaining at least 10 shelters specifically dedicated to care for PRC trafficking victims, as well as eight shelters for foreign trafficking victims and more than 2,300 multi-purpose shelters nationwide that could accommodate trafficking victims; it did not provide information on these shelters in 2019. The Ministry of Civil Affairs, a nationwide women’s organization, and grassroots NGOs could provide victims with shelter, medical care, counseling, legal aid, and social services, as well as rehabilitation services in some cases. 

Access to specialized care depended heavily on victims’ location and gender; experts noted ad hoc referral procedures and an acute lack of protection services in the south, and male victims were far less likely to receive care nationwide. The government did not report how many victims benefited from these services, and widespread stigma against victims of sex trafficking likely continued to discourage many from accessing protection services. 

The government hukou (household registration) system continued to contribute to the vulnerability of internal migrants by limiting employment opportunities and reducing access to social services, particularly for PRC national victims returning from exploitation abroad. The government continued to address some of these vulnerabilities by requiring local governments to provide a mechanism for migrant workers to obtain residency permits. However, these residency permits were disproportionately unavailable to China’s minorities, exacerbating their constrained access to employment and social services.”

As of 2019, China had 303, 381 refugees, which is a 5.7% decline from 2018. 

Note on China’s Refugee Policy: “China is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol. However, its Exit-Entry Law did not mention the right to apply for asylum until 2012. It now includes provisions for persons to apply for refugee status and remain in the country during the screening of their applications. As China does not have a refugee status determination procedure, the UNHCR currently manages all applications for refugee status.” Additionally, China’s incoherent refugee policy makes it difficult to count the total number of refugees it takes in. 

In 2019, the new displacements in China were recorded as 4,034,000 movements. The total number of IDPs in China are 220,000. China has some of the highest disaster related displacement every year as a result of their large population and vulnerability to natural disasters.