The Global Women’s Movement and Chinese Women’s Rights

Joan Kaufman, Sc.DHeller School, Brandeis University

Harvard Medical School

Association for Asian Studies Annual Meeting, 2010

Key Points

Global Women’s movement as trans national civil society movement advocating for and mobilizing about women’s rights

Two UN Conferences on Women in 1990’s as vehicles for making global connections

Beijing Women’s Conference in 1995 as galvanizing and catalytic event for Chinese women’s movement

Overview of Presentation

The Global Women’s Movement and the two UN Conferences:

International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), Cairo, 1994 Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing (4WCW), 1995

Impact of ICPD and 4WCW in China

Resulting initiation of reforms to China’s family planning program and domestic violence efforts

The International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo,1994)

Victory for feminist critiques of population control programs

Primacy of reproductive health and rights and women’s social and economic development over narrow focus on birth control

ICPD, Platform for Action, 1994

Reproductive and Sexual RightsReproductive health, including family planning, MCH, HIV and STI instead of population controlQuality services and informed choiceServices and information to youthDomestic violence as health issueClient centered and integrated servicesSocial and economic development for womenRole of civil society and non government actors

China’s Family Planning Program in 1994

Child bearing women targetedDemographic targets down to local levelGovernment regulations and fines for unplanned birthsParity driven: emphasis on long term methodspressure to abort unplanned pregnanciesHighly organized service and propaganda infrastructure“One veto” system for evaluating officials

China’s Family Planning Program Reform after 1994

1995 – 1997: Pilot Project on Quality of Care and Reproductive Health (11 rural counties)1999: scaled up to 800 counties (25% of country) and groundswell for change2000: government announced plan to expand to whole country by 20102001: laws and regulations reformed and publicized

Key Aspects of the Reform Initiative

Eliminate township level population targets (retained at county but normative)Contraceptives based on need/preference not parity drivenInformed choice of methods and counselingReform supervision and evaluation criteria for family planning cadresAdd needed health services (RTI and HIV)

China’s Family Planning Reform:Not far enough

Change in rhetoric and intention from target driven to need based and service oriented and contraceptive choiceLittle change in reproductive rights

The Girl Child: sex ratio at birth 117 boys to 100 girls through sex selective abortion and girl child abandonment: second and third parity

No civil society movement in China advocating for reproductive rights

Silence and mixed messages by China’s feminists

The Fourth World Conference on Women Beijing, 1995

Re-affirmed ICPD agenda on reproductive health and rights and women’s social and economic rights

Domestic Violence as one of four key conference themes

NGO Forum: active role of international women’s NGOs Advocacy Groups and Civil Society Organizations (DAWN, WEDO, HERA, IWHC)

Chinese women’s NGO’s emerged as “counterparts” to global actors – Women’s Hotline, Women’s Law Center of Beijing University, Chinese Women’s Health Network, Rural Women Knowing All

Regional organizations strengthened – ARROW

International Networking and Alliance building on women’s issues

Beijing Conference, Post 1995Impact on China’s Women’s Movement

Galvanizing event for Chinese women activists through exposure to international women’s movement especially international NGOs

Further consolidation of women’s activist NGOs and networks working on women’s social and economic issues (e.g. women’s media project, domestic violence network)

Launch of China gender and development group

Growth of women’s studies, research and training (Chinese Society for Women’s Studies, ACWF’s China Women’s Studies Association)

Beginning of international networking via internet (e.g.V-Day campaigns)

Changing Role of All China Women’s Federation

Hosting of Beijing Conference and ongoing participation in CSW and contact point for UN women’s rights agreements

Growing activism by provincial and county branches of ACWF (e.g. Xi’an)

Independent NGOs putting pressure on ACWF to change and become more responsive to women’s issues: domestic violence, trafficking, job discrimination, women’s land inheritance rights

Progress on Domestic Violence after Beijing Conference, 1995

Pre Beijing Conference, denial

Domestic Violence Network formed in 1998 (10 NGO and academic groups)

Local branches of ACWF began anti DV legal initiatives after Beijing Conference

2001 Marriage Law amended to include a law outlawing domestic violence/2005 LRIW amended – remedial measures included

2007 – drafting of law on domestic violence by Domestic Violence Network (to be submitted to State Council)

2008 – Guide for Supreme People’s Court issued on domestic violence and “protection orders” mechanism established

Comparison of Progress on Reproductive Rights and Domestic Violence

Reproductive Rights issue – institutional reform (National Population and Family Planning Commission) but no independent NGO movement

ICPD commitments led to top down reforms to family planning program

No civil society actors putting pressure on government about women’s rights violations of the program

Domestic Violence issue – interplay between evolving ACWF and civil society driven women’s movement

Beijing Conference “issue” pushed ACWF to act and internationalized it (e.g. CSW)

Independent civil society groups put further pressure on ACWF

Competition for legitimacy as representatives of women’s interests

Huge growth in NGOs in China

320,000 NGOs registered with MOCA171,150 shehui tuanti –social organizations

975 Jijinhui -foundations

147,637 minbanfeiqiye danwei – welfare orgs

but probably 2 million (commercial and industrial bureau, community organizations, rural welfare and mutual help groups, religious groups)

Mainly advocacy (changdao) rather than service

Dual management system

Conclusion

Government policies, programs and services have been instrumental to advance basic women’s rights in China

However, voice and agency of women (through civil society) are critical mechanisms for fuller rights achievement

Transnational civil society needs “counterparts” at national level in order to mobilize action on specific issues