Women gain influence in business and politics

Women are gaining influence in global development, experts said in a seminar discussing women’s increasingly important role in politics, economics and public affairs.

Now, about 25 countries and regions are led by women. Between 1979 and 2017, China has named more than 100 females as ambassadors and consuls, said Qiu Jiqing, women’s affairs expert with Shanghai Jiaotong University.

In China, women make up about 30 percent of management positions, 25 percent of entreprenuers, and more than half of those who launch startups are women.

“Women know how to communicate better and pursue cooperation,” she claimed.

However, there are still many challenges, like how to balance family and workplace issues and the salary gap between men and women, said Jiang Lai, secretary general of the Women's Study Center at Fudan University.

She called on the government to amend the law to better protect the rights of women, and also establish more public nurseries for babies aged below 3 in the workplace and neighborhoods.