China's women representation across top leadership in CCP drops to less than 8%

A report from US-China Economic and Security Review Commission suggests that women have limited representation and voice in China's political system. In the population of 703.8 million females which accounts for 48.7% of the 1.4 billion entire population, women make up less than 8% of senior leadership roles. US review panel report stated that given the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) leadership's declared dedication to equal opportunity, the number of women leaders in the country is notable.

Women are underrepresented in Party leadership, just as they are in the group of Chinese nationals who hold senior positions in international organisations. The research also suggests that only four Chinese nationals are serving in top leadership positions in significant international organisations and that women also have limited presence and voice at the highest levels of China's political system.

10% of women in roughly 300-member CCP Central Committee in the past

Female representatives have rarely made up more than 10% of the roughly 300-member CCP Central Committee in the past. Only six women have ever served in the Politburo's 25-member body, three of whom were the wives of other prominent figures, according to ANI. The report says that no woman has ever served on the Politburo Standing Committee or occupied any of China's top three political positions, including CCP General Secretary, Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), or State President.

Although the percentage of women in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is not publicly published, China Military Online, an official journal of the PLA, reported in 2015 that about 5% or less of the PLA's military members are female. No women currently serve in a senior command or as political commissars. Lieutenant General is the highest rank a woman has ever held in the PLA, with one promoted in 1993 and another in 2010.

Sun Chunlan, China's Vice-Premier, is the country's, highest-ranking woman

Sun Chunlan, China's Vice-Premier, is the country's, highest-ranking woman. Sun is in charge of the country's response to Covid-19. She was previously the party chairman of Tianjin. Hua Chunying, assistant minister and foreign ministry spokeswoman, is another rare female representation.  Wang Lixia in Inner Mongolia and Xian Hui in the Ningxia Hui area are the two female governors.

(Inputs from ANI)

Image: AP