China Women\'s federation pledges to promote gender equality

A senior official of the All-China Women\'s Federation (ACWF) pledged on Monday to improve awareness of gender equality among the country\'s policy makers. Song Xiuyan, federation vice president, told a national congress that the body will work to incorporate education of gender equality into training programs for Party and government officials, including those at Party schools. \"We expect to improve the awareness of gender equality among public policy makers,\" she said, at the 11th National Women\'s Congress which opened here Monday morning. The congress expected to draw a blueprint for the development of Chinese women in the coming five years. The federation will continue to lobby on laws and policies that are vital to women\'s rights of employment and participation in political affairs, Song said. \"We will also continue fighting against human trafficking involving women and children and sexual abuse of girls,\" she said. The once-every-five-year congress will hear and discuss a work report by the 10th executive committee of the ACWF, deliberate and adopt amendments to the federation\'s constitution, and elect the 11th ACWF executive committee.