NPCSC Expected To Pass C-section Bill

China will give pregnant women the right to chose a caesarean birth for babies even if husbands object, state media reported on Tuesday, one of the latest steps to safeguard women's rights in a society in which traditions can play a powerful role.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top law-making body, is meeting this week to discuss bills, including a draft amendment to the Women's Rights and Interests Protection Law, which was first passed in 1992.

He Yiting, a parliament official for societal issues, said that while the law had been in place for years, some old problems had not been resolved while some new ones had arisen as society and the economy progressed, the Beijing News reported.

Currently, a hospital can only let a pregnant women deliver by caesarean section if her husband approves.

The rule requiring a husband's permission led to a case in 2017 in which a pregnant woman jumped to her death at a hospital because she was in pain and her husband objected to a caesarean, the hospital said at the time.

Under the proposed new rules, if a pregnant woman and her family have different opinions about a delivery, the hospital should respect the woman's wish, said He. (Reuters)