Local lawmakers in Beijing remained divided on the retirement age for women officials and top professionals during the first review yesterday of a local regulation.

"Forcing a number of top women professionals to retire and stay at home above 55 years old is a huge loss of talent, especially in medical and education sectors," said Lu Zhaofeng, president of Capital Medical University and a member of the standing committee of the 13th Beijing municipal people's congress.

"Without them, some research institutions might just collapse," Lu said during a panel discussion of the 11th session of the committee on a draft Beijing implementation measures of the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women.

The retirement age of women, at 55, is five years earlier than men.

As an example, Lu said, if a woman medical professional graduated with a doctor's degree at the age of 30, it will take another 15 years of clinic experiences for her to become a leading expert in the field.

"But in 10 years, when she is still in a position of huge resources and advantages that young people can never reach, she is to retire. What a waste!" Lu said, adding that the country was in dire need of high-end talents.

He insisted that regulations should be revised with such clauses as women elites having the right to choose to retire at the age of 55 with a ceiling of 60 years old.

Lu's opinions were echoed by Tang Weijian, a professor with Renmin University of China.

"Special professions such as teachers, judges and doctors should enjoy more flexible retirement policies for women," Tang told China Daily on the sidelines of the discussion.

However, a third member, Nie Dahua, deputy chief engineer of Beijing General Municipal Engineering Design & Research Institute, disagreed with postponing retirement.

"Nearly 46 percent of my institute are women, and we feel scared when hearing the local government might postpone our retirement until age 60," the 46-year-old Nie said.

Retirement age should not be compulsory, Nie said.

"The best protection of women's rights is to have choices," she added.

A fourth member, Li Zhao, the former head of Beijing municipal bureau of commerce, said many women officials were happy to retire early.

"Those who want to continue their work can do it as long as their agencies accept," Li said.

Last December, drafts released by the city's legislation office in order to collect public opinion said the retirement age for women officials at county level and above is set to be raised from 55 to 60 next year as part of a series of legal revisions to ensure sexual equality at work.

Under current regulations nationwide, women officials at the municipal level and under have to retire at 55, five years before their male counterparts.

Within one month authorities have received 519 suggestions on the issue, including 219 that agree and 210 that disagree, said Zhou Jidong, the city's legislation office chief.

Sexual harassment

Text messages sent with cell phones might be treated as sexual harassment, local lawmakers defined for the first time yesterday.

"It is forbidden to sexually harass women through such means as language, letters, images, electronic information and physical conduct," drafts by the lawmakers stated.

A woman suffering from such infringement may directly bring a suit in a court, or lodge a complaint at her work unit, the infringer's work unit and the women's federation departments.

The work units and public venues involved should adopt measures to prevent and deter the cases according to practical circumstances, the drafts said.

"Such measures will include installing cameras at public venues such as in elevators and setting visible windows at private rooms of karaoke bars," Zhou said.

(China Daily May 22, 2009)