Women's participation in the management of state and social affairs is an important indicator of social progress. The Chinese government has highly valued the protection of women's political rights as a significant goal of the building of socialist democracy and the development of human rights in the country.

Women's political participation is also referred to as the political rights of women. It means the democratic rights of women to participate in state management and the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Women's political participation can be understood in a broad sense and narrow sense. According to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of the UN, the rights to political participation in a broad sense include the right of freedom of speech; the rights of peaceful assembly, of association, of the procession and demonstration; the right to vote and to stand for election; the right to participate in public affairs of the state; and the right to hold public office, and so on. According to article 34 of the Constitution of China, all citizens have the right to vote and stand for election. In article 35, citizens enjoy the freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of the procession and demonstration. In article 41, citizens have the right to criticize, make suggestions, and make complaints.

In a narrow sense, women's political participation mainly includes the rights to vote, to stand for election, and to hold public office. The political rights of women are clearly stipulated in the UN Convention on the Political Rights of Women: “Article I: Women shall be entitled to vote in all elections on equal terms with men, without any discrimination. Article II: Women shall be eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies, established by national law, on equal terms with men, without any discrimination. Article III: Women shall be entitled to hold public office and to exercise all public functions, established by national law, on equal terms with men, without any discrimination.” According to Article 7 of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, “state parties shall ensure to women, on equal terms with men, the right: (a) To vote in all elections and public referenda and to be eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies; (b) To participate in the formulation of government policy and the implementation thereof and to hold public office and perform all public functions at all levels of government.” These international documents on human rights establish the international standard for women's political participation. This paper studies women's political participation in a narrow sense. Women's political participation is at the core of the system of women's rights. It is an important part of women's human rights and the basis for the equal enjoyment of other rights by women.