By staff reporter ZHANG XIWEN

Participation in politics by Chinese women in general started after the founding of New China in 1949. The Chinese government specifies the proportion of women cadres at various government levels, and the number of women deputies to the highest organ of state power. By the end of 2000 China had 14.895 million women cadres, accounting for 36.2 percent of the country's total, and the number above county level amounted to 77,300, accounting for 15.1 percent of the total. Of China's 31 provincial-level governments, 30 had at least one woman cadre, and 15 had at least two. The number of women deputies to the National People's Congress has increased year by year, and is expected to reach 25 percent in 2003.

A survey was recently conducted on men and their opinions as to women participating in politics. Its results show that the traditional view of women as inferior to men is changing, and that most men believe women in politics ensures greater fairness and humanity. Many acknowledged that the working style of women leaders is more acceptable than that of their male counterparts.

Women in politics may be gradually changing this essentially man's world, but their activities in the political arena are still restricted by virtue of living in a male-dominated society. Politics is generally a profession for men, but it can only be a part-time job for most women.

Outspoken Zhu Lilan

Zhu Lilan (left) at a small planet-naming ceremony held in Hong Kong.

There are people who refer to Zhu Lilan as Old Lady Battle-ax. Her acquaintances speak glowingly of her, but some are more admiring of her scientific, rather than leadership, skills.

Zhu Lilan has served at several different posts. She has been president of the Chemistry Institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, vice director of the State Science and Technology Commission, and minister of science and technology. She is currently a deputy to the Ninth NPC. Zhu is a controversial woman leader within Chinese politics, mostly because of her no-nonsense approach.

At age 67, Zhu Lilan is agile and down-to-earth. On the issue of low incomes earned by Chinese intellectuals, she openly advocated fixing salaries according to corresponding levels of knowledge. Since then, Chinese teachers' salaries have increased fivefold. She was also the first to propose that Chinese universities change their traditional concept of research taking precedence over development. At the time her proposal met with strong opposition from university professors, but this did not prevent a subsequent nationwide surge of universities that began running high-tech companies. After her criticism leveled against postgraduates students for needing Chinese interpretation at foreign language lectures, language skills became an important criterion for gauging the quality of a student.

Zhu Lilan is physically and mentally active. She performs her work rapidly and talks at high speed, coming straight to the point, and never beating around the bush. At a forum on western China's development she voiced her opinion that, "Western China lags behind eastern China in many respects. The foremost discrepancy as I see it relates to the concept of opening up and reform, which has nothing to do with the amount of financial input, but with the level of self-emancipation (of the mind)." Her words, although factual, discomfited many local western China officials. If anyone ever attempts to flatter her, she wastes no time telling them where to get off. However, she resents being described as a battle-ax, saying, "I talk facts, and have neither time nor energy to pussyfoot around with diplomatic jargon."

Zhu Lilan received an award for Outstanding Service from the American Chinese Engineers' Association in acknowledgement of her efficient expedition of Project 863 (a high-tech research and development program laid out in 1986). Her success is due to hard work. Working with a group of experts in various fields, she makes sure to keep well informed in all relevant areas. She consequently spends most of her spare time reading, and often stays in her office studying until late at night.

At home her husband does most of the housework, and she occasionally pitches in. In her youth she considered staying single, but eventually gave in to overwhelming social pressure and married, albeit on the pre-condition that she and her spouse would support each other's careers. A propensity towards spick-and-span tidiness is the only obvious sign of femininity in Zhu Lilan. Each of her things has its own place. As she puts it, "I can find exactly what I need in my room with my eyes closed."

For the Prosperity of Farmers

By staff reporter LI WUZHOU

Xie Xin'ai with her husband and son.

Villagers crowd, standing, sitting and squatting, around a bamboo platform listening to a 21-year-old candidate woman for deputy to the township people's congress.

This was the scene 18 years ago at Xujiaqiao Village. Xie Xin'ai remembers being a little nervous after finishing her speech, watching the villagers in her constituency line up to cast their ballots into a red paper box. As it happened, they won her a majority vote, qualifying her to become a deputy to the township people's congress.

Xie had dreamed of this day since childhood. Her mother was then a capable village head, and her family often received cadres from township and county governments that came to see how things were going in the village. Seeing them busily working their way around the village, agreeing and disagreeing on various points, she became determined to be in their number one day. After graduation from high school, she took the appropriate qualifying exam and became a cadre in Bamaoxi Township. The second year (1985) she began her career as a deputy to the people's congress in Sangzhi County in northwestern Hunan Province.

Xie concerned herself with matters that directly affect farmers. She believed then, as now, that poverty is a major hindrance to rural development, and that its resolution could clear the way to dealing with many other problems in the countryside. Sangzhi was then an isolated, backward mountainous area. Local farmers could feed themselves, but had no money to spend on anything else. After being elected deputy, she spoke actively on their behalf, pushing for the construction of roads and water projects, and extension of communication lines. In order to find ways of improving farmers' lives, she consulted books and the news media for relevant information, and ran training courses for villagers. Over the past 18 years her role has changed from deputy to the township people's congress to deputy to the municipal people's congress. She has put forward over 100 proposals, 70 of which have been adopted. She is most proud of the proposal she made as deputy to the county people's congress regarding comprehensive harnessing of the Chenjiahe River Valley.

Farmers in Chenjiahe Town formerly lived on low-yield plots reclaimed from the mountainside. Apart from the ecological damage this caused, in drought years the plots yielded nothing. After a month of investigation, Xie presented a detailed report and proposal, suggesting that the plots be converted back to forest in the interests of water and soil conservation, that orange trees be planted on the mountainside, and that aqueducts be built at its foot. After implementation of this proposal, the barren once mountain turned green. Every rural household in the township was given one mu (1/15 hectare) of land on which to cultivate fruit trees, which brought economic benefits several times that of farming. Today half of the households in Chenjiahe have moved into new houses equipped with telephones.

When preparing to make this proposal, Xie Xin'ai, then head of the town, spent her days visiting villagers for information and opinions, and nights consulting books and other reference materials, to the extent that she neglected her duty as a mother and wife. Like many Chinese husbands who support spouses that have undertaken public responsibilities, her husband uncomplainingly took over the household chores. Xie did, however, feel guilty, promising her husband, "Just this once, never again." She has kept her word, and since then no matter how busy, she always spares time to take care of her family. "I would rather be a good wife and mother than an Iron Lady," she says.

Making Laws in the Interests of the Disadvantaged

By TANG MUBAI

Zhang Fengxian (left) visiting a worker's family.

In the eyes of her neighbors, this short, sturdy woman in her later years is a reliably amiable person. To her grandson, she is a good granny, as each time she goes away on a business trip she brings him back a present.

On voicing complaints from her constituents at meetings of the National People's Congress, however, her persona is stern and implacable.

"Deputy Zhang? Our foreign boss has forced us to work extra hours again, and our working day is already far too long. As our delegate, please put in a word for us," entreats a woman working for a Sino-foreign joint venture.

On taking this call, Zhang Fengxian immediately went to the garment factory, where she found a far from satisfactory situation. Workers did not have fixed meal times; they simply ate at their sewing machines as they worked. According to factory regulations, workers were allowed to visit the toilet just twice a day. Consequently many women workers suffered toxic effects from holding in their urine.

Zhang Fengxian was disturbed, and immediately remonstrated with the manager of the foreign side. The problem was solved for the time being, but she continued to receive complaints of a similar nature. Quite a number of foreign-funded enterprises forced their employees to work extra hours, there was no guaranteed workers' safety, and the working environment was poor. More than a decade ago, China lacked experience in foreign-funded enterprise administration, and legislation in this field was consequently inadequate.

At one meeting of the National People's Congress, Zhang Fengxian suggested making laws that would safeguard the interests of workers at foreign-funded enterprises. Not long after, the State Council promulgated regulations in this specific area.

"I was elected a deputy to the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth People's Congress, because it was well known that I dare to speak for the masses of the people. In 1987 I was elected a deputy to the NPC. When it was my turn to speak, however, I was so excited I could only talk about how honored I felt to be a deputy, rather than express any opinions," she recalls with a smile. At first, she could only sign motions drafted by others, but after becoming fully aware of her powers and functions as a deputy, fulfilled her duties to the letter. "According to the current ratio, in Zhejiang, one NPC deputy represents 250,000 constituents," she confirms.

Zhang Fengxian has previously worked as furnace stoker and retail sales assistant. Her own experience has made her pay special attention to issues like safeguarding worker's interests and reducing farmers' burdens. In 1989, her constituents complained to her about market prices, which prompted her to initiate moves towards a Price Law regulating them. Two to three years later, the Price Law was promulgated. In 1993, she submitted a bill guaranteeing a minimum living standard, which later also became promulgated law. Later, and on receiving complaints about infringements on workers' rights, she submitted the Labor Law bill.

Throughout the five years of the Seventh National People's Congress, she submitted just two bills regarding legislation. During the Eighth National People's Congress, however, she submitted nine bills, including the Wages Law, the Social Security Law, the Law to Promote Employment, and the Law on Unemployment Relief. In 2000, she took the lead in submitting three bills, including the Law on Production Safety. All were adopted by NPC special committees.

When asked, "Where did your bills come from?" Zhang Fengxian replies, "From visits to workers' families." In her 15 years as NPC deputy, in addition to participating in inspection tours organized by provincial people's congresses, she also spends about two months of the year visiting ordinary families. "It's worthwhile taking part in these activities; they fulfill both my physical and spiritual needs," she says, smiling.