China passed legislation on Sunday aimed at giving women more protection against gender discrimination and sexual harassment. days after the bill was submitted to the country’s top legislature after a third revision and extensive public input.
According to reports, The legislation comes as activists have expressed concern about increasing government rhetoric on the value of traditional women’s roles, and what some see as setbacks for women’s rights and more restrictive attitudes towards abortion.
It’s not yet clear to what extent those more conservative attitudes will be reflected in the new law. No details on the legislation beyond its adoption were immediately available.
It is the first time in nearly 30 years that the law on women’s protection was changed. Titled “Women’s Rights and Interests Protection Law”, the bill was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on Thursday. The NPC announced the legislation had passed on its website.
About Tens of thousands of people had sent in suggestions for what wanted to see in the legislation, the NPC said on its website.
