Women's roles|What NPC deputies say

Meng Yuan, an employee at the Guang'an branch of State Grid Sichuan Electric Power Co in Sichuan province

Women have expanded their presence in the workplace. In our industry, for instance, working on ultra-high voltage power lines, which involves inspecting or repairing equipment while up high, used to be predominantly male-dominated. However, nowadays, there are many highly educated women engaging in this field.

Women have become more confident and are fully utilizing their talents, particularly in the workplace. I believe that a woman's value is reflected in her confidence. It is important to engage in lifelong learning to ensure continuous personal growth.

Zhang Jingjing, dean of the International School of Jingdezhen Ceramic University, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province

Women have stepped up in fields like tech, finance and politics — traditionally seen as being "men's turf" — proving their worth through hard work and talent.

But we women still need to keep strengthening our expertise — one needs to be strong to forge iron — proving ourselves to earn equal opportunities. Equally important, we must break the culture of silence. Rights aren't given freely, they're claimed. If something's unfair, call it out. And let talent shine, loud and clear.

Du Wei, director of the Graduate School of Guizhou Minzu University in Guiyang, Guizhou province

As a female deputy, I deeply felt the spirit of the Beijing World Conference on Women, striving to implement the policy of "promoting gender equality as a basic national policy for promoting the development of our country".

I hope more measures can be taken to enhance the development environment for women and children. For example, we can build more mother-and-baby rooms in public restrooms and childcare centers in workplaces. The measure can assist women to unleash their full potential.

Zhong Tuanyu, Party chief of Jindouyang village, Fu'an, Fujian province

Factors such as traditional views on gender are still restricting women's access to knowledge and skills in some impoverished or rural areas, thus hindering their career development and personal growth.

As a grassroots female representative, I am deeply concerned about the rights and interests of women and children. In the context of the rapid development of artificial intelligence, it is essential to further enhance women's digital literacy, stimulate their innovative potential and help them grow into modern workers equipped with knowledge, work experience and skills.

Dong Yuelin, vice-dean of the School of Languages, Cultures and International Education at the Liuzhou Institue of Technology in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region

In our research, we found that women's marital and childbearing status often affects their job prospects, with employers showing concerns about women having children.

As a female deputy to the National People's Congress, I am very concerned about issues related to women. I hope to use my position to help address the problems and difficulties women currently face, offering suggestions to the government from a female perspective.