The employment rights of women must be improved, says an article in China Youth Daily. The following is an excerpt:

Zhang Xiaojian, vice-minister of labor and social security, said there would be specific legal stipulations about what kind of jobs were not suitable for women.

It would be progress if such stipulations do appear in the new law on employment promotion. The wellbeing of women will be safeguarded.

However, there should also be a clause that guarantees a women's right to employment as the new law could lead to a reduction in jobs for them, and thereby a reduction in their social standing.

Official statistics show the employment rate of women in 2005 was 11.4 percentage points lower than that of men. And this difference has existed for many years in all industries.

Employers usually prefer to recruit men than women. A woman employee could involve extra costs such as pregnancy and childcare. It is a major reason for discrimination against women in the job market.

Women are offered legal protection in China, but regrettably they are not extensive enough or put into practice. Much more needs to be done to guarantee the rights and interests of women employees.

More legal regulations are needed that protect women against discrimination in the workplace.

(China Daily October 15, 2007)