Global Times: Xi puts forward proposals to advance women's all-round development at Global Leaders' Meeting on Women

BEIJING, Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday put forward four proposals to accelerate the process of women's all-round development. Addressing the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women held in Beijing, Xi said the proposals were introduced to build a wider consensus, open up broader pathways and take more practical actions for this cause, as women's all-round development is still facing complex challenges.

The Chinese president proposed joining efforts in fostering an enabling environment for women's growth and development.

"Their all-round development is achieved under the prerequisite of peace and tranquility," Xi said.

He emphasized the need to enhance the protection of women and girls in regions struck by war, conflict, poverty or natural disaster, and support the vital role of women in preventing conflict and rebuilding their homes.

It is crucial to improve mechanisms against violence and resolutely crack down on all forms of violence against women, Xi added.

The president proposed cultivating powerful momentum for the high-quality development of women's cause.

Xi urged efforts to address the imbalance and inadequacy of women's development around the world, and enable all women to share the benefits of economic globalization.

It is important to harness scientific and technological innovation to empower women's high-quality development, and to support women in playing an even bigger role in green development.

Xi also proposed developing governance frameworks to protect women's rights and interests.

He called for improving institutions and laws, and introducing further tangible and accessible policy measures, and channeling more quality health and educational resources to all women.

It is vital to promote an inclusive and harmonious social environment that sets women free from discrimination and bias, broaden the channels for women to participate in and deliberate on political affairs, and support their extensive engagement in state and social governance, he noted.

Xi underscored the need to nurture an environment that respects women, and to morph gender equality into a code of conduct embraced by everyone in the society.

The president also proposed writing a new chapter in promoting global cooperation on women.

He called for support for women to play a substantive role in global governance and share in its benefits.

Xi also voiced support for the central role of the UN, urging it to pay more attention to the needs of women in developing countries, and create broad cooperation platforms for women in all countries.

Xi also announced a slew of measures to support the global women's cause at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women.

Over the next five years, China will donate an additional $10 million to UN Women. Meanwhile, China will earmark $100 million from the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund for cooperation with international organizations on projects to promote women's and girls' development, Xi said.

China will support 1,000 "small and beautiful" livelihood projects for women and girls as the priority beneficiaries, and invite 50,000 women to China for exchange and training programs, he said.

China will also establish a center dedicated to promoting global women's capacity-building, through which it will carry out cooperation with relevant countries and international organizations to cultivate more outstanding female professionals, Xi said.

China's answer

President Xi's speech today was inspiring, practical and significant because China is leading the global efforts to promote gender equality across various sectors, including the economy, digital technology and culture. Many view gender equality as a single issue, but it permeates every aspect of a nation. Following this speech, greater achievements in gender equality are expected worldwide, President of the Women's Congress of Kyrgyzstan Zamira Akbagysheva, told the Global Times.

President Xi's speech not only demonstrated China's concrete actions in advancing the goals of gender equality and women's empowerment under the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but also outlined a clear roadmap for progress. It provides a distinct "Chinese solution" for building international consensus and jointly promoting gender equality worldwide, Guo Ye, director of the Women's Research Institute of the All-China Women's Federation, told the Global Times.

Guo noted that today's meeting has further strengthened the international community's confidence in promoting women's development and gender equality.

The 2025 gathering is aimed at reviving the spirit of the 1995 World Conference on Women, also held in the Chinese capital, which adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, per Xinhua. The 2025 conference injected fresh momentum into the global push for gender equality and the full development of women, Xinhua reported.

As an active supporter of global women's causes, China has contributed $20 million to UN Women since 2015. In partnership with UNESCO, it established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and supported projects in Africa that promote digital and health education for girls, Xinhua reported on Monday.

In 1995, the world gathered in Beijing. And in 2025, the world has returned once again. China has successfully organized this remarkable conference that allows us to share our experiences and learn from each other's efforts so we can accelerate our collective progress, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, minister of delegation of the Republic of Ghana, told the Global Times.

By hosting this conference, China has given us the opportunity to approach the gender issue from a political and holistic perspective, rather than in fragmented parts, she said. "With such a comprehensive view, we can see how all the individual elements come together to form the whole. Therefore, China's position and role promoting gender equality cannot be underestimated.''

Inspiration for others

In China, women's life expectancy has risen to 80.9 years, and enrollment of girls in compulsory education now exceeds 99.9 percent nationwide. Women currently comprise over half of all higher education students and account for around 43 percent of the total workforce, with their influence growing across governance, science, business and sports, Xinhua reported on Sunday.

China has developed a model for advancing gender equality that is tailored to its national conditions and has proven effective. Gender equality is enshrined as a fundamental state policy, strengthening both legal protections and social awareness.

Today, the representation of women among national lawmakers, political advisors and delegates to the CPC National Congress have all hit record highs, according to Xinhua.

Maimona A.M. Khalid, Minister at the Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan in China, highlighted China's contributions to women's education, emphasizing that "education is the key pillar for everything. Let's educate women - when women are educated, they learn, they grow, and they lead their societies."

She added that China has a broad and forward-looking vision for empowering women and promoting global development. "If countries work together," she said, "we can elevate the global role of women and advance peace, prosperity, and progress for all humankind."

Christine Arab, UN Women Regional Director for Asia Pacific Region, told the Global Times on Monday that she was impressed by the high level of women's participation in digital technology in China. "In East and Southern Africa, where I come from, we are still trying to close the gap, as only a little over 20 percent of women are involved in digital technology. But China has gone far beyond that, which is truly something to be proud of."

"Here in China, we were warmly welcomed by lecturers and professors at a women's university, which demonstrates that women in China can inspire, motivate, and mentor women from my country. This exposure helps women from my country realize they can achieve similar heights," Nerol Vaekesa, director of Vois Blong Mere Solomon, a non-governmental organization in Solomon Islands, told the Global Times.

SOURCE Global Times