An NGO leader criticized Xiamen Administration of Civil Service on Wednesday for discriminating against applicants based on gender in the city's civil service exam, according to Legal Daily.

Guo Bin, director of Shenzhen-based Equity and Justice Initiative, a non-profit organization specializing in eliminating discrimination, wrote a letter to Fujian Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, urging the authorities to revise the discriminatory requirements.

Of the 160 posts announced by Xiamen Administration of Civil Service, more than 30 percent were limited to men. Only 15 posts were specifically reserved for female applicants.

"Women and men are equal in terms of employment. Given the posts are not special jobs that are unsuitable for women, barring female applicants from taking the test is groundless," Guo wrote in his letter.

As a cultured city of robust economic development, Xiamen should be a role model for other cities when it comes to the impartiality in civil service employment, Guo said.