BEIJING — Premier Li Keqiang urged continued efforts to implement the basic state policy of gender equality and the principle of prioritizing the development of children’s education. While addressing the sixth national working conference on women and children, he said women and children’s development should be better coordinated with economic growth and social progress.

Gender discrimination must be eliminated, and equal pay for equal work must be enforced, said Premier Li, calling for efforts to provide special work protection to female employees and boost support to them, including training, tax waivers or rebates, and legal and business assistance.

Greater efforts should be made to select or promote female cadres, and women should enjoy greater opportunities and capabilities to govern economic and social affairs, he said.

The Premier also urged greater care for particularly vulnerable groups, including the poor, sick and disabled, elderly women as well as single mothers.

Premier Li Keqiang addresses the sixth national working conference on women and children in Beijing on Nov 18.

Calling children the “future and hope of a nation,” he said priority should be given to the education of children. Premier Li urged advancing balanced development of compulsory education by investing more heavily in education in central and western regions, border areas, ethnic minority areas and impoverished areas.

Work to expand enrollment of students from poor areas in prestigious universities should be continued, he said, adding efforts should be made to create equal opportunities for education for children from various family backgrounds.

Additionally, the Premier urged improving medical services for children, increasing the number of pediatricians, and addressing shortages of pediatric medications and other medical resources.

More effective measures should be worked out to address birth defects and malnutrition of children, he added.

Special care should be provided to orphans and sick, disabled and homeless children, as well as rural children whose parents have left home to work in cities as migrant workers.

Moreover, Premier Li added that the government will continue to crack down on human trafficking and other crimes that target women and children.