Chengdu, the capital city of China's Sichuan province, has included the drafting of a new rule dedicated to the protection of women's rights into its legislation plan.
According to Zhang Jusheng, a professor from Chengdu University who is also in charge of the drafting of the Chengdu Women's Rights Protection Rule, the new rule has five highlights: women can ask for short leave based on their own physical conditions during their menstrual period; a temporary shelter will be set up for women suffering from domestic violence and a special fund is to be arranged to protect women's rights; a third-party supervision mechanism will be established to prevent the illegal registration of residences for women in rural areas; free health checkups will be offered to disadvantaged families; and the proportion of women cadres will be fixed.
Zhang said that the new draft rule would come out in September 2009.
In September 2007, the city promulgated a measure on the implementation of the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women. In December 2008, Chengdu wrote the drafting of this new rule into its legislation plan of 2009. As the first special rule dedicated to women's rights protection, CWRPR is expected to have a positive impact on the solving of problems related to women's rights.
