Shen Jilan
Shen Jilan | |||||||||
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![]() Shen in 2012 | |||||||||
Delegate to the National People's Congress | |||||||||
In office 15 September 1954 – 28 June 2020 | |||||||||
Chairman | Liu Shaoqi→Zhu De→Song Qingling (acting)→Ye Jianying→Peng Zhen→Wan Li→Qiao Shi→Li Peng→Wu Bangguo→Zhang Dejiang→Li Zhanshu | ||||||||
Vice Chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the Changzhi People's Congress | |||||||||
In office 1983–1993 | |||||||||
Director of the Shanxi Women's Federation | |||||||||
In office 1973–1983 | |||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||
Born | Pingshun County, Shanxi, China | 29 December 1929||||||||
Died | 28 June 2020 Changzhi, Shanxi, China | (aged 90)||||||||
Political party | Chinese Communist Party | ||||||||
Children | 3 | ||||||||
Parent(s) | Song Jinshui (father) Wu Quanxiang (mother) Shen Hengtai (stepfather) | ||||||||
Occupation | Politician | ||||||||
Awards | Order of the Republic (2019) | ||||||||
Chinese name | |||||||||
Traditional Chinese | |||||||||
Simplified Chinese | |||||||||
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Shen Jilan (Chinese:
Biography
[edit]Shen was born in Pingshun County, Shanxi, on 29 December 1929. Her father, Song Jinshui (
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Shen_Jilan_in_1953.jpg/220px-Shen_Jilan_in_1953.jpg)
In 1952, she was encouraged by higher powers in the Communist Party to widen the cooperative to cover 26 individual farms – the first production cooperative to be established in the People's Republic of China. On the establishment of this wider cooperative Jilan was elected deputy president.[clarification needed] She established a working women's group to carry out agricultural work.[7]
In 1954, she proposed the addition of the equal pay for equal work clause in the first constitution of China to reduce the gender pay gap, and her proposal was adopted.[2][3] She commented in a 2018 interview: "Men got 10 work points a day, but we only got a maximum of five points no matter how much work we did." To highlight the unfairness in this approach, she organised a manuring contest between the male and female workers, which the female workers won.[8]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Hu_Wenxiu%2C_Guo_Lanying%2C_Li_Hui_and_Shen_Jilan_in_1954.jpg/220px-Hu_Wenxiu%2C_Guo_Lanying%2C_Li_Hui_and_Shen_Jilan_in_1954.jpg)
In 1953, Shen joined the Chinese Communist Party and gained widespread media attention due to the success of the farming cooperative.[8] She was elected to the 1st National People's Congress in 1954 as one of four female representatives from Shanxi province. Of the 1,226 deputies to attend the first congress, only 147 were women. She was the only person to have been elected to every session of the National People's Congress, having been returned to the 13th National People's Congress in 2018.[8]
In 1973, Shen became director of the Shanxi Women's Federation, a position she held for ten years, before returning to her home village of Xigou in 1983. During this period, China was establishing a market economy and Shen established herself as an entrepreneur in the local economy. She helped establish a ferroalloy plant, walnut oil factory, and cannery in the local area. She was also an integral part of a reforestation plan in Xigou.[8]
In 2008, she was chosen as an Olympic torch carrier as part of the buildup to the 2008 Summer Olympics. It was reported by local media that she donated 10,000 Chinese yuan to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake relief efforts. When her calls for widespread internet regulation in 2013 met with controversy, Shen suggested that she did not "follow the trends among the young", but argued that displaying different points of view are a benefit of the National People's Congress system.[8] In 2019, she was awarded the highest order of honour in China, the Medal of the Republic.[9][10][11] There is a museum dedicated to Jilan's life in Xigou.[12]
She was considered a somewhat controversial figure by democracy activists given the fact she never voted against the party. These activists criticised her voting in favour of the Hong Kong national security law in 2020.[12]
She died on 28 June 2020, at the age of 90, from stomach cancer.[13][14]
Personal life
[edit]Shen was married to Zhang Hailiang (张海
Political Positions
[edit]Loyalty to the Party
[edit]In 2009 during the 2nd Session of the 11th National People's Congress, Shen was interviewed by Henan Business Daily, and she said[16][17]
I strongly support the Communist Party. To be a Representative is to be obedient to the Party. I have never voted no.
Her statement drew wide attention.[18] Some media pointed out that Shen supported struggle sessions against Liu Shaoqi during the Cultural Revolution, while she supported rehabilitation for him after the Cultural Revolution ended.[19]
In 2011, Shen said that[20]
As a witness to the system of People's Congress, I would vote yes for whatever I support from heart, and would abstain otherwise.
Internet control
[edit]During 2012 National People's Congress, Shen said
I have an opinion that the internet should be managed [by the authority], and not everyone should be allowed to do [writing on the internet], just like People's Daily. [Authorities in] foreign countries messed it up, we can't be like them. We should do it in accordance with the principles, and should not make good things bad, [allowing people] saying whatever they want. We are a socialist country led by the Communist Party.... For the internet, whoever wants to go online could go online? Or should it require approval by the [authority] organization?
The Southern Metropolis Daily further reported her opinion that some people browsed inappropriate contents online, toxicating the youth.[21]
No contact with voters
[edit]During 2012 National People's Congress, Shen stated that it would be inappropriate for the Representatives of the People's Congress to communicate with voters in elections.[22]
Here we rely on democratic elections. It's inappropriate to communicate [with voters in elections]. If you're not elected, you should not seek help from others.
Superiority of socialist states
[edit]In 2011, China expanded the trial target population of the new rural social pension insurance, and many farmers older than 60 enjoyed pension for the first time.[23][24] In 2013, Shen said[25]
[I] am able to receive pension. Only socialist countries are able to do this. I feel very happy.
References
[edit]- ^
人民 日 报撰文 掌 声 送 给申纪兰称 选民对其信任 . Sina. Archived from the original on 11 March 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2019. - ^ a b "89-year-old woman becomes China's only 13-time NPC deputy". People's Daily. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Shen Jilan, the world's longest-serving congresswoman". China.org.cn. Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ "An army of 'yes-men': China's People's Congress". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ Wang Hongjing (
王 鸿谅) (9 October 2009).申 纪兰:“太 阳底下 晒 的 人 ”. Sina (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019. - ^
李 顺达——新 中国 第 一 代 著名 劳模. Sohu. 18 May 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2019. - ^ 长治
市政 协网-中国 人民 政治 协商会 议长治 市 委 员会主 办. Government of Changzhi. 31 October 2012. Archived from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2019. - ^ a b c d e "Meet 89-year-old Shen, China's longest-serving lawmaker". China Daily. 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ (受权发布)
中 华人民 共和 国 主席 令 (第 三 十 四 号 ). Xinhua. Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019. - ^ "The heroes of China". The Telegraph. 10 September 2019. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ "Shanxi Women's Federation Officials Visit Shen Jilan, China's Longest-Serving Legislator". All China Women's Federation. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ a b Spakowski, Nicola (April 2022). "Women Labour Models and Socialist Transformation in early 1950s China". International Review of Social History. 67 (S30): 131–154. doi:10.1017/S0020859021000705. ISSN 0020-8590. S2CID 247323319.
- ^
申 紀 蘭 逝世 66次 出席 人 大 兩 會 被 稱 人 大 「活 化石 」、「舉手機器 」 (in Chinese). 28 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020. - ^
全国 人 大 代表 申 纪兰逝世. The Paper (in Chinese). Retrieved 28 June 2020. - ^
人 大 代表 申 纪兰多重 符号 :多 家 公司 以其命名 . Sina (in Chinese). 20 March 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019. - ^ “
最 老 ”人 大 代表 申 纪兰:55年 从没投 过反对票 Archived 2020-07-01 at the Wayback Machine.新 浪 網 (燕 趙 晚 報 -河南 商 報 ) - ^ ""
最 老 "人 大 代表 申 纪兰:55年 从没投 过反对票". Archived from the original on 17 March 2009. - ^ ""从不
投 反 对票"的 申 纪兰再 当 选人大 代表 ". DW.COM (in Chinese (China)). Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020. - ^ 吴雨 (6 March 2012). "
人 大 代表 申 纪兰:从未投 过反对票".德 国之 声 中 文 网. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2020. - ^ "
申 纪兰回 应"从未投 过反对票":不 拥护的 就不投票 ". 凤凰网. Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. - ^ ""从不
投 反 对票"代表 申 纪兰:网络也该有人 管 ".南方 都市 报. 2012. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. - ^ "
申 纪兰:要 给人民 办事才能 当 人民 代表 ".中国 网. 2012. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. - ^ "2011
年 将 扩大新型 农村社会 养老保 险试点 范围". 腾讯. 5 March 2011. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. - ^ 张庆
淑 :《对我国 新型 农村社会 养老保 险制度 的 思考 》,《市 场研究 》2011(9):55-57. - ^ "
申 纪兰:只 有 社会 主 义国家 才能 做到发放养老金 ". 网易新 闻. 8 March 2013. Archived from the original on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- 1929 births
- 2020 deaths
- Chinese women in politics
- All-China Women's Federation people
- Chinese Communist Party politicians from Shanxi
- Politicians from Changzhi
- Delegates to the 1st National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 2nd National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 3rd National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 4th National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 5th National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 6th National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 7th National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 8th National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 9th National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 10th National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 11th National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 12th National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 13th National People's Congress
- Deaths from stomach cancer
- Recipients of the Order of the Republic (China)
- Deaths from cancer in the People's Republic of China
- Female members of the National People's Congress