Policy Brief

Female workers are the cornerstone of China’s manufacturing sector, yet many continue to face systematic barriers to decent work and career advancement. In 2025, China reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women’s rights and participation in the world of work through its voluntary commitments under the Beijing+30 Priority Actions. Translating these commitments into practice requires targeted, gender-responsive policies and concrete action at both policy and enterprise levels.

This brief was developed under the Women in Motion programme, jointly launched by UN Women and the European Union in 2023. By partnering with the China Enterprise Confederation, industry associations and women’s organizations, the project has equipped more than 10,000 women workers with employability skills and supported 70 employers to adopt gender- inclusive practices. In 2026, the programme entered its second phase, with plans to expand to additional provinces and industries and to benefit more women workers across China.

The brief examines how international frameworks, national laws and policies can be more effectively implemented to support women workers, particularly migrant women and women with disabilities. Drawing on first-hand survey data, enterprise case studies from Guangdong Province and policy dialogues convened by UN Women, the brief highlights persistent implementation gaps as well as promising practices from pilot enterprises.

The findings demonstrate that gender-responsive workplace mechanisms — including structured communication between management and women workers, systematic tracking of career progression, family-friendly policies, the prevention and response of sexual harassment, the promotion of occupational safety and health, and strengthened accountability systems — can deliver tangible benefits for both women’s career development and enterprise performance. Building on these insights, the brief puts forward actionable recommendations to strengthen policy coherence, incentivize enterprises and foster inclusive workplace cultures that enable women workers to thrive, advance and lead.

性别包容的工作场所：充分释放中国制造业女性潜能

政策简报

女性工人是中国制造业的基石，但其在体面劳动和职业发展方面仍面临系统性障碍。2025年，中国郑重承诺落实《北京+30行动议程》，重点聚焦妇女权益和劳动参与等领域。要将这些承诺落到实处，必须在政策层面与企业层面采取有针对性、性别包容的政策和具体行动。

本简报在联合国妇女署与欧盟共同于2023年发起的“性别包容的工作场所”项目下编制。项目携手中国企业联合会、行业协会以及妇女组织等伙伴，迄今已为一万余名女性员工提供了就业能力相关技能培训，并支持70家用人单位采纳性别包容的工作场所实践。2026年，项目已进入第二阶段，计划进一步拓展至更多省份和行业，并惠及更多中国女性劳动者。

该简报旨在探讨如何更有效地落实国际框架与国内法律政策以支持女工职业发展，尤其是流动女工与残障妇女。基于一手调研数据、广东省企业案例以及联合国妇女署组织的政策对话成果，本简报梳理了现存的政策落实缺口，并总结了试点企业的典型实践。

研究表明，建立性别包容的工作场所机制——包括管理层与女工的定期沟通、职业晋升追踪体系、家庭友好政策、职场性骚扰防治措施、职业安全健康保障以及强化内审问责机制——能够为女性职业发展与企业绩效带来实质性收益。基于这些洞察，本简报提出可操作性建议，旨在强化政策协同、激励企业行动，营造包容型职场文化，使女性工人能够获得发展、实现晋升并发挥领导力。