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Proposals to outlaw the sexual harassment of women have been put to China’s top-level legislature. They are amendments to an existing law that protects women’s rights and will be considered by the standing committee of the National People’s Congress.
The amendments, representing China’s first attempt to make sexual harassment an offence in itself, would compel employers to take measures against perpetrators.
Recent surveys have exposed the extent of the problem in workplaces in China. A study by the online media company Sina.com and a chat magazine showed that 79 per cent of female respondents had been sexually harassed. Another, by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, revealed that among professional women nearly 40 per cent in private enterprise had been victims, while the figure in state-owned companies was only 18 per cent.
In the past four years only ten women have sued employers over sexual harassment on the basis of the present law and only one was successful. One problem has always been that Chinese women feel ashamed culturally to complain about harassment.
The amendments, representing China’s first attempt to make sexual harassment an offence in itself, would compel employers to take measures against perpetrators.
Recent surveys have exposed the extent of the problem in workplaces in China. A study by the online media company Sina.com and a chat magazine showed that 79 per cent of female respondents had been sexually harassed. Another, by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, revealed that among professional women nearly 40 per cent in private enterprise had been victims, while the figure in state-owned companies was only 18 per cent.
In the past four years only ten women have sued employers over sexual harassment on the basis of the present law and only one was successful. One problem has always been that Chinese women feel ashamed culturally to complain about harassment.
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