Women in China face a threatening environment, including the risk of violence at home, in the workplace, at government agencies and organized crime. At least one in four Chinese women experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Many women also experience discrimination, especially in the workplace. Other social issues include human trafficking, and marriage and family issues. At the same time, there is a leadership deficit at the national level. There is no woman in the inner circle of China’s leadership, the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party. As Chinese women’s rights activist Wu Qing points out: Lack of political freedom is stifling the women’s movement. In response, in the past decade, China has seen the rapid emergence of an independent civil society. In 2010, Chinese authorities estimated there were 444,000 NGOs, many led by women. The rapid growth, perseverance and courage of these civil society leaders, who are effectively mobilizing and empowering their communities, has led to small but tangible gains for women.