The Women's Studies Institute of China (WSIC) held a seminar in Beijing from December 5-6, to discuss the latest survey on women's social status.

The event, organized in tandem with an institute under the China Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), focused on the nation's economic development over the past two decades and associated changes in women's social status. Topics covered included women's progress in the internet era, equality in the labor market, female political participation, and gender in relation to an ageing society.

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing and the implementation of the basic State policy of gender equality. China and UN Women jointly hosted the Global Women's Summit, where President Xi Jinping called for comprehensive development of women and gender equality," said Tan Lin, member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation and WSIC president, during her opening speech.

Tan expressed her hope that the expert and scholar attendees would deepen their studies of the major problems facing women's progress, and work to come up with more targeted and effective recommendations for officials.

Zhang Chewei, director of the Institute of Population and Labor Economics under the CASS, noted the important role of Chinese women in the nation's social and economic development. He pointed out that more efforts should be made to sum up past experiences and strengthen relevant study approaches.

The WSIC has held annual conferences on women's social status since 2011, sharing the latest data on women's development, as well as the results of relevant studies in the field. The proposals and suggestions given during the event were highly valued by officials concerned, organizers said.

A youth forum was also set up during the meeting, providing younger scholars with a platform for communication and participation.