ABSTRACT
Despite the fact that significant progress has been achieved in gender equality in the last 50 years as a result of strong state intervention in China, both the development of the market economy and the ongoing restructuring of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have caused a setback in gender equality and a reduction in protection for women workers – most notably in wages, employment security and social insurance provision. In China, the state-controlled trade union, the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), is the official channel for worker’s representation. Yet, the ACFTU is not the only body providing help for women workers: the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) has long been a patron in championing women’s causes under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party. However, the presence of these two official organizations, which in principle offer representational mechanisms for women workers, does not necessarily mean that women workers in China are well organized and represented.
