As other reporters thronged the red carpet stretched from the north gate of the Great Hall of the People on Sunday, I followed Rehangul Emir to the east gate, the main entrance, on her way to attend her fifth annual session of the National People's Congress.

I still remember meeting her for the very first time. She was only 24 when she became a national legislator and as a textile factory worker from the south of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, she was shy and obviously nervous while making her first speech. "I was afraid of making mistakes in front of Xinjiang's top officials. Now I am fully aware that as an NPC deputy, I'm equal to the top officials, " she said, smiling.

Cui Jia/China Daily

Aside from a few cursory glances at her striking traditional Uygur clothes, Rehangul drew little attention from the mass of reporters, who seemed more interested in speaking to a minister. Yet it is often deputies such as her, elected by the people and from the grassroots, who know more about ordinary people's wants and needs.

"My suggestions and proposals may not immediately affect China at the macro level but they are equally important. They are not things that have just popped into my head, but the results of much research," said Rehangul.

Her proposals to previous NPC sessions have largely focused on employment and poverty alleviation－areas that form part of her remit in her current role as a township official.

She was born into poverty herself and understands full well how difficult life can be, but knows that in her role as an NPC deputy, she has the power to help others. One of her proposals led to the construction of a textile factory that will eventually employ 5,000 people.

During the past four years, Rehangul has had the opportunity to sit down with Premier Li Keqiang, when he joined one of the Xinjiang delegation's discussion sessions.

She said she still felt nervous when talking face-to-face with Li, but knew it was her right and responsibility to let him know her views on how to improve people's lives.

The NPC's annual session should not just be about holding meetings, or delivering and discussing reports, it should involve a clash of ideas about how to make China better. Rehangul knows that if she doesn't speak, the voices of those who voted for her will not be heard and when she does speak, every word matters just as much as those of the ministers.

Contact the writer at cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn