It’s the 30th anniversary of the landmark Beijing conference and this Monday, China hosted the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women. In his keynote, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed four game-changing actions to push gender equality forward: creating peaceful environments for women’s growth, boosting anti-violence measures, sparking new economic drivers to empower women, and revamping governance so women get bigger seats at the table. 🌟
Xi also called for deeper global teamwork—think United Nations–led platforms—to supercharge women’s projects worldwide. 🤝
Homegrown Wins: Women Rise in China 🎉
Since 2013, targeted poverty reduction has lifted millions of women out of hardship, with 690 million now enjoying a moderately prosperous standard of living. Women aren’t just students (they’re over 50% of higher-education enrolment); they make up 45.8% of the scientific community, over half of internet entrepreneurs, and 42.3% of judges nationwide. Life expectancy for women tops 80 years, and maternal deaths have plunged 77% since 1995. No wonder the World Health Organization named China a star in maternal and child health! 🌼
Going Global: China’s Support for Women 🌐
Beyond home soil, China has pumped millions into women’s development in the Global South. Since 2015, it’s contributed $20 million to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), co-created the UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education, and rolled out digital learning, health, and vocational programs across Africa. Over 100 maternal-and-child health and “Happy School” initiatives, plus housing and infrastructure projects, have boosted daily lives. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China’s invested $40 million in women-focused projects in 20+ countries, training 200,000 women from 180 countries via a new Digital Empowerment Center. 🚀
At the meeting, Xi pledged even more: an extra $10 million to UN Women, $100 million to the South-South Fund, 1,000 grassroots “small and beautiful” projects, 50,000 women invited to China for exchanges and training, and a global women’s capacity-building hub. The next five years look set to raise the bar for women everywhere! 💫
Reference(s):
China leads global push for a new milestone in women's development
cgtn.com
