BEIJING, June 16 (RIA Novosti) - Sex-segregated
subway carriages could be introduced in Beijing to prevent
sexual assaults on women during rush hours, the Zhongguo
Xinwenshe news agency reported on Tuesday.
According to the Chinese capital's lawmakers, over 40% of
female passengers complain of some form of sexual harassment in
the city's subway. The bill has already been submitted for
consideration, and could be adopted in the near future.
"Sexual harassment in the subway is common during rush
hours," the bill says. "Creating separate compartments for
women is significant for establishing a well-mannered society."
China made sexual harassment a criminal offence when the
new wording of a law on protecting women's rights came into
force on December 1, 2005. The first guilty verdict was issued
by a Chinese court last July.
Although there are no official statistics on sexual
assaults on men, Chinese lawmakers are currently discussing
introducing a law on protecting men's rights to ensure that
legislation treats the sexes equally, the agency said.
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