It has been reported in China Daily/Asia News Network that Juren Education Technology Co., located in Haidian district, allegedly failed to hire a job applicant because of her gender, spurring on what could be the first lawsuit under the Employment Promotion Law of the People’s Republic of China of 2008, as well as a demonstration outside of the company’s offices.

The law, which went into effect as of January 1, 2008, states that “No worker seeking employment shall suffer discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, race, gender or religious belief.”  It further provides that “The state shall safeguard the equality of women with men in their enjoyment of labor rights. With the exception of certain types of work or positions designated by the state as unsuitable for women, no employment unit, when recruiting new employees, shall refuse to recruit women by reason of gender or impose higher employment criteria for women.”

As to enforcement, the law states that “In the event of any employment discrimination in violation of the provisions of this Law, the relevant worker(s) shall be entitled to initiate legal proceedings in the peoples’ court.”

Commenting on the lawsuit and the demonstration, Liu Xiaonan, an associate professor at China University of Political Science and Law, said the case could be the first lawsuit filed under the law, and that "The protest brings pressure on all employers, and reminds them to treat their employees equally."