"Women are astronauts who fly in the sky, researchers at the forefront of science, 'alley prime ministers (小巷总理)' who look after local communities, grassroots cadres working on the front lines of rural revitalization, athletes who fight on behalf of the nation, and peacekeepers who safeguard peace and development."
With the World Conference of Women set to open in Beijing on the 13th–14th, China is putting forward women-friendly messages front and center. Xi Jinping, China's president, who has long stressed that "without women's liberation and progress, there can be no liberation and progress for humanity," is also expected to attend the conference and deliver the opening address.
On the 13th, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency ran an editorial titled "Let's write a new chapter in the development of women's causes around the world together," noting that "countless 'she' figures are supporting half the sky of national development with perseverance, wisdom, and a sense of responsibility, adding women's strength to the new journey of Chinese-style modernization," and that "gender equality and the all-around development of women are key measures of social civility and progress, and a consistent goal of the Communist Party of China. Protecting women's lawful rights and interests, promoting gender equality, and ensuring the all-around development of women are important elements of 'Chinese-style modernization.'"
The editorial then laid out the results of China's work on women's development. ▲ 690 million women entered a xiaokang society (小康社会, a moderately prosperous society) ▲ women accounted for 50.76% of enrolled students in higher education (as of 2024) ▲ women's average life expectancy surpassed 80.9 years. Previously, China had ▲ established the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education ▲ trained more than 200,000 women talents in over 180 countries ▲ implemented women's empowerment projects totaling $40 million in more than 20 countries.
The editorial added, however, that "there is still a long way to go before building a world without discrimination and a society of inclusive development," saying, "Globally, more than 600 million women and girls are suffering in the flames of war and conflict, 2 billion women and girls are left outside social security systems, and about 10% of women and girls live in extreme poverty." It continued, "Achieving gender equality is not a task already completed but a shared goal of humanity that requires continued cooperation and concrete action from the international community."
Earlier, on the 3rd of last month, at the parade marking the 80th anniversary of China's victory, a women's military formation marched through Tiananmen Square and received an inspection from Xi. Xinhua News Agency assessed that "in the flames of the anti-Japanese war in the 1930s–1940s, women fought bravely and made great contributions with blood and devotion to national independence and liberation," and stated, "Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has taken women's liberation and gender equality as core values and has regarded women as an important driving force for the party's and the country's development."
The editorial came out on the 13th, a day before the Beijing opening of the World Conference of Women. Since its founding in 1990, the World Conference of Women has been held annually as it travels around the globe. Xi attended and delivered speeches at the conference in 2015 and 2020, and is scheduled to do so again this year. This year's theme is "Building a better world for all women and all people." Dozens of women leaders, including heads of state and representatives of international organizations from around the world, will gather.
This year, in particular, marks the 30th anniversary of the "Beijing Declaration." The Beijing Declaration is an international declaration adopted at the Fourth United Nations (UN) World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995. The World Conference on Women is an intergovernmental meeting organized by the UN. The Beijing Declaration set out 12 priority areas on gender equality and women's rights.