The first law against domestic violence, which China's top legislature adopted on Sunday and comes into effect on March 1, 2016, is an important step the country has taken to protect the rights of women, children and senior citizens.

The Anti-Domestic Violence Law that defines family abuse and requires personal protection orders to be issued for victims, if necessary, was long overdue because domestic violence, especially against women, remains a serious problem despite the country's efforts to protect the rights of women over the past decades.

About one in every four Chinese women suffered domestic violence at some point in her life, according to a survey conducted by the All-China Women's Federation in 2013. Each year, the federation gets about 50,000 complaints of domestic violence, with experts estimating that more women could be victims of domestic violence but they remain silent primarily for lack of effective legal protection.