China's reforms and fast-paced economic development have liberated hundreds of millions of its women, who underwent "earth-shaking" changes carried out over six decades, dpa quoted a Beijing official as saying today. Meng Xiaosi, president of the All China Women Federation and a vice minister in the Beijing government, said economic development has provided "unprecedented opportunities" for women in her country. "Hundreds of millions of Chinese women are no longer the oppressed and fettered group of the past, but masters of the country, the society and their own destiny," Meng told an international conference on women at United Nations headquarters in New York. She said Chinese women now hold "positive roles" in the economy, politics, as well as scientific, educational and health affairs. China is the world's most populous nation, with 1.3 billion people, and a slightly higher male population. The two-week women conference, which began on Monday, was to review the implementation of a Platform of Action to advance the status of women worldwide. The platform was adopted in Beijing 15 years ago. Meng said the Beijing platform has enabled "hundreds of millions" of Chinese men and women to push forward a gender equality process in the country. "In the process of implementing the Beijing platform and promoting women's rights, we fully realized that the ways to protect and promote human rights and equality vary and should be independently chosen in line with national situations," Meng said, rejecting charges that Beijing was not applying the same standards of human rights practised in Western nations.
