Starting anew from Beijing: Working together for shared future in global women's development

A Chinese expert of Juncao technology instructs foreign women on cultivating Juncao grass. (Photo from the National Engineering Research Center of Juncao Technology of the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University)

Achieving gender equality and promoting the well-rounded development of women are important indicators of social progress.

In 1995, China successfully hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where 189 countries and regions unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, both landmark achievements in the global cause of gender equality.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of that landmark conference, China will soon hold the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, which is expected to inject fresh momentum into the advancement of women's development worldwide.

China's commitment to women's progress

Over the past three decades, China has earnestly implemented the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, translating the conference's vision into concrete results and making significant contributions to improving the well-being of women both at home and abroad.

China has fully implemented the basic national policy of gender equality, incorporating women's development into its overall governance agenda. It has established a comprehensive legal system to protect women's rights and interests, with more than 100 laws and regulations in place.

A young female researcher conducts at the Gannan Innovation and Translational Medicine Research Institute in east China's Jiangxi province. (Photo/Hu Jiangtao)

Since 2012, the socialist path of women's development with Chinese characteristics has demonstrated vibrant vitality and unique advantages. The living conditions and development opportunities for women have continued to improve, with notable achievements in poverty alleviation, education, science, and healthcare.

Today, 690 million Chinese women have joined the nation in achieving moderate prosperity. Females now account for more than half of university students, enjoy an average life expectancy exceeding 80 years, and make up 43 percent of the employed population. The World Health Organization has listed China among the world's top 10 high-performing countries in maternal and child health.

In today's China, the saying that "women hold up half the sky" has become a deeply rooted belief and a vivid reality. From female astronauts exploring outer space to leaders driving poverty alleviation efforts, from master craftswomen in key industries to outstanding athletes on the world stage, Chinese women have advanced in step with the country's modernization drive. Through their perseverance, wisdom, and dedication, they have written inspiring stories of progress and contributed significantly to Chinese national development.

Promoting global cooperation and shared progress

China recognizes that the future of women around the world is closely interconnected, and that the progress of Chinese women is inseparable from that of women everywhere.

Females learn livestream e-commerce skills at a public job training base in Qianxinan Buyi and Miao autonomous prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou province. (Photo/Liu Zhaofu)

As a natural member of the Global South, China actively supports women's poverty alleviation and development in other developing countries. The Juncao technology, affectionately called the "grass of happiness," has created employment opportunities for women in over 100 countries. Chinese public welfare initiatives promoting women and children's health, education, and access to water have been implemented across various regions, improving the lives of hundreds of millions of women.

China also attaches great importance to capacity-building and skills training for women. It has trained more than 200,000 women from over 180 countries and regions, launched women-focused projects worth $40 million across more than 20 countries, and organized over 100 training programs for women and children from the Global South.

China has deepened people-to-people exchanges on women's issues. The All-China Women's Federation alone maintains close exchange with more than 140 countries, over 420 women's organizations and institutions, and UN agencies, building bridges of understanding, cooperation and friendship among women worldwide.

Championing multilateralism for women's empowerment

The advancement of women's causes depends on a peaceful and stable international environment, sustainable development, and the central coordinating role of the UN.

China firmly supports the UN's leading role, faithfully fulfills its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Since 2015, it has contributed $20 million to UN Women. It has also partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, worked to enhance women's representation in the UN system, and helped foster an international environment conducive to women's development.

Since 2012, China has hosted nearly 30 women-focused events under mechanisms such as APEC, the G20, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, providing platforms for dialogue and cooperation on women's empowerment.

China has actively guided the global women's development agenda, promoting women's participation in peace and security efforts, climate change responses, public health crises, and humanitarian challenges. It has advanced efforts to narrow the gender digital divide, ensuring that women and girls can share equally in the opportunities of the digital and AI-driven future.

Toward a shared future for women and humanity

Thirty years on, the message of the Fourth World Conference on Women continues to shape global progress toward gender equality. Yet challenges remain daunting: more than 600 million women face conflict and instability, nearly 2 billion women and girls lack access to social security, and violence, discrimination, and inequality persist.

Against this backdrop, the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing comes at a pivotal moment. It will help build consensus on solidarity and cooperation, pool collective strength to address shared challenges, and make new contributions to advancing women's cause and the progress of human civilization.

(Zheng Zongwen is an observer of international issues.)