Beijing — Close to 100 people took part in a national conference this week in Beijing to examine the current state of gender-based violence in schools and families in China, exchange best practices and strategies, and propose policy recommendations to be taken forward with the government.

The national conference was co-organized on 15–16 January 2018 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) along with UNESCO, UN Women and Common Language, a Chinese civil society organization dedicated to advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) inclusion in China.

The participants came from government departments, academic and research institutions, UN agencies, and civil society organizations.

Professor Sun Xiaomei, from China Women’s University and a member of the National People’s Congress (NPC) pointed out that the current anti-domestic violence legislation often falls short in extending protections to LGBTI people. She went on to stress the importance of working with legislators, law enforcement officers, judges and other stakeholders to sensitize them on legislative and policy issues related to LGBTI people.

Professor Sun has been promoting gender equality in China for over two decades, focusing on violence against women and family law. In recent years, she has actively participated in discussions on LGBTI rights protection and is committed to engaging other policy makers in the dialogue and making inclusive legislative changes.

Xu Bin, Director of Common Language, pointed out that the development of LGBTI rights has been undergoing dramatic changes during the past 10 years, both globally and in China. More partners are joining in to help with this development. “Today is a milestone for us,” she said. Read more via Being LGBTI in Asia