Chinese communities should provide refuge for women to prevent domestic conflicts from escalating into violence, two advisors have proposed to the ongoing annual full session of the top advisory body.

"We found most serious injuries are inflicted within 24 hours after the conflicts, and in most cases, wives are often beaten up at home as they have no friends or relatives to turn to and nowhere else to go," said Cai Ling, a professor of economics with Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. "In some worst cases, desperate wives slew their husbands in self-defense after the assault."

Such tragedies would be less likely to occur if the women victims were provided refuge in their own communities in case of conflicts, said Prof. Cai in a joint proposal with Wang Shaojie, another member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

According to a survey done by All-China Women's Federation last year, domestic violence occurs in some 30 percent of the 270 million households around China and wives are victimized in at least 95 percent of the cases.

The two advisors say such shelters are widely available in many countries overseas and have taken shape in several Chinese cities including Shanghai and Guangzhou. They called for joint efforts from women's federations, civil affairs authorities, public security bureaus, health departments, the business circles and volunteers.

"Community workers should also provide psychological counseling, conciliation and legal aid to domestic violence victims," according to the two advisors.

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2005)