A pioneer who flew the flag for gender equality

Late NPC deputy who kept humble was at forefront of nation's revival

Shen Jilan lived a remarkable life before she died last year at age 91. She was the only deputy to attend 13 consecutive sessions of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, since it was established in 1954; she was a pioneer who encouraged women in her hometown to work instead of staying at home; and her proposal on gender pay equality became a key part of the 1954 Constitution of the People's Republic of China.

Shen was referred to by many titles during her life, but she usually told people "I'm just a farmer".

She was born in 1929 in a remote village in the Taihang Mountains, a revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China in North China's Shanxi province. When Shen was 17, she married a soldier from Xigou village, Pingshun county.