Chinese women now account for 46.7 percent of the total working population, according to statistics provided by the APEC Women Leaders Network (WLN) Meeting.

In the course of the rapid development of China’s market economy, quite a few Chinese women have moved from their traditional employment fields to science and technology, finance, insurance and other knowledge-based areas. The spheres where women are employed are now more balanced.

Experts pointed out that in recent years, more and more women have been working in managerial positions. Women experts and women entrepreneurs have come to the forefront in large numbers, playing a very important role in hi-tech industries as well as large and medium state-owned enterprises, becoming an essential force in China’s economic development.

Some 120 million rural women have taken part in the program of “earn more income through science and technology” since 1989. Over the twelve years, the overall competence of the rural women has been improved considerably, their income has been increased, and their ability to participate in economic activities has been intensified.

In urban areas, over 30 million female workers have taken part in various vocational skill training, among whom over one million laid-off workers were re-employed.

(China Daily 08/24/2001)