Income gap between the sexes widening

Survey reveals gender inequality in job market

The income gap between men and women in China is growing partly because of gender inequality, particularly in the job market, according to a survey.

In 2010, urban women's income was 67.3 percent that of men's and rural women's income was 56 percent that of their male counterparts, the survey found. The ratios were 77.5 percent and 79 percent in 1990.

The nationwide study was carried out by the All-China Women's Federation, the country's largest women's organization.

Incomplete statistics also show that women make up about 45 percent of all employees on the Chinese mainland, while only one in four entrepreneurs is female, said Cui Yu, a member of the federation's secretariat.

Women's incomes are growing much slower than men's, although China has achieved remarkable progress in promoting gender equality, Cui told a symposium in Beijing on Tuesday.

Some 300 delegates — including company executives, scholars, industry leaders and members of non-governmental organizations — attended the one-day conference. It was organized by the federation, UN Women — a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women and girls — and other organizations.

Gender is one of the five most cited factors for respondents when asked about reasons for job discrimination, according to a report released by the Institute of International Labor and Social Security under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in 2011.

We recommend:
World's highest-altitude civilian airport to start operations	Global sales of Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 tops 5 mln mark	China to open Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed rail route slows
China Telecom starts iPhone 5 pre-orders	China's MA700 to take flight in 2016	13th Int'l Automobile Industry Exhibition
Rural grid upgrades to ensure electricity	Staff members of bus company sort notes, coins	Construction of 6th Yellow River bridge underway