The importance of having more women leaders in political, economic and social fields has been consistently stressed in both developed and developing countries. Gender equality has been a central feature of the UN Millennium Development Goals that has shaped more than a decade of poverty reduction, education and anti-discrimination efforts.

China is no stranger to this cause, and it is often applauded for striving to ensure that men and women enjoy the same legal rights and prospects for a healthy and fulfilling life. After all, if China's women are to hold up half the sky, they must first be able to reach it.

An important step in helping women do so saw China ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1980 and endorse the Millennium Declaration in 2000. China's constitutional provisions on gender equality and domestic legal frameworks like the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women in 1992 provide further evidence of the country's commitment to addressing development gaps between men and women.

This has been a major focus of the United Nations Development Programme's work on governance and gender in China. Together with the All China Women's Federation, UNDP seeks to address the intricacies and delicacies involved in promoting gender equity and continue to work with China to address existing challenges through advocacy, policy research and dialogue as well as pilot projects.

In China's progress report on the achievement of the MDGs in 2010, the level of political participation of women in electoral processes had yet to meet the MDG target of 30 percent women. While the number of women had increased in intermediate leadership positions, women continue to be under-represented at the national and local levels. In 2008, women accounted for only 21.3 percent of positions in the National People's Congress, and out of these only 16.1 percent were members of the NPC Standing Committee. In villages, women led only 2.7 percent of the local committees.

The Second National Program for the Development of Women (2011-2020) outlines plans for increasing the number of women in national and local governments. Though significant progress has been made, more remains to be done and new issues will surface. Drastic changes in the economic opportunities available in China's sprawling cities have left many towns and villages with fewer men, traditional gender roles are changing and women are facing new pressures.

Promoting women's leadership is also about promoting equity among men and women. Around the world, we are seeing the need for educated, healthy and empowered women to drive a sustainable development agenda forward with greater speed, tenacity and passion.

In India, the number of approved drinking water projects has increased by 60 percent in women-led councils. In Spain, increases in the number of women in parliament led to a law being passed in 2007 to enhance employment and working conditions for women. And there are many other examples of women leaders around the world taking positive actions that benefit women as well as men.

Gender balance in public administration ensures that a wide enough range of perspectives are consulted in policymaking to make tangible contributions to sustainable development.

More women will be required to take their place as equals in the ranks of decision makers. To do so, policies and practices that empower women are crucial. In China, increased representation along with gender equity will be important factors enabling women to more fully contribute to national and local development.

The author is country director of United Nations Development Programme in China.

(China Daily 11/06/2012 page9)