China moves to make reporting of trafficking mandatory under changes to women’s rights law
- Proposed amendments also include more welfare support for victims, according to the top legislature
- It comes amid public pressure for stronger legal protection to address concerns about gender-based abuse and discrimination
Chinese lawmakers will push for mandatory reporting of trafficking or abduction and provide more support for victims under proposed revisions to the women’s rights law, the top legislature said on Thursday.
Zang Tiewei, a spokesman for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, told reporters that the proposed revisions included strong support for victims of trafficking.
“The recent exposé of severe women’s rights abuses reflects weak grass-roots governance and [a lack of] awareness of women’s rights protection,” Zang said.
He said under the amendments, local government units in charge of household and marriage registration, township, village and community authorities as well as hotels would be required to report suspected cases of trafficking or abduction to police. Local branches of the government-backed All-China Women’s Federation would also be asked to carry out screening to help detect cases and provide welfare support to victims.