Women and Poverty Reduction

Alleviation and reduction of poverty and common prosperity are the constant goals of Chinese Government. It is an important task for women’s federations at all levels to address the shortage of food and clothing for women and children in poor areas and to promote local efforts helping women and children in poor areas. Over the past years, the government, with poverty issues that affect women on top of its agenda, formulated preferential laws and policies to eliminate women’s poverty and mainstreamed gender equality to the overall planning for poverty reduction. With the support and encouragement from the government, women’s federations at all levels have expanded the activities among women of learning knowledge, science and technology, contesting progress and contribution, helped poor women out of poverty, increased their income, with remarkable results. The number of rural poor predominated by women declined from 80 million in 1994 to 21.48 million by the end of 2006, 58.52 million less. 1. China formulated preferential laws and policies to eliminate poverty for women Chinese Government regards poverty of women a critical issue and drew preferential laws and policies to eliminate poverty of women. In the Program for the Development of Chinese Women (2001-2010) promulgated by the government, it was