Three decades after the landmark United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, global leaders and trailblazers gathered once again in China to celebrate progress and reignite momentum for gender equality. The recent Global Leaders' Meeting on Women marked a symbolic full-circle moment, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – a blueprint that reshaped gender parity conversations worldwide.
CGTN's special program 'SHE' captured this historic reunion, featuring voices like former UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, Tanzanian diplomat Gertrude Mongella, Olympic champion Yang Yang, and ballet icon Tan Yuanyuan. Their collective narrative revealed how China's modernization journey has amplified women's roles in politics, sports, arts, and economic development.
"When 189 governments adopted the Beijing Declaration in 1995, we knew it was just the starting line," remarked Bokova during the program. Today, China hosts 24% of the world's female STEM researchers and boasts a 43% female parliamentary representation at local levels – tangible outcomes of sustained policy implementation.
While celebrating advancements, participants acknowledged persistent challenges. Yang Yang, China's first Winter Olympics gold medalist, emphasized: "True empowerment means creating environments where women's achievements become societal expectations, not exceptions."
The dialogue comes as Asia leads global economic recovery efforts, with gender-inclusive policies increasingly recognized as growth accelerators. For investors and policymakers, the discussions underscore the untapped potential of women-led innovations in driving sustainable development across the continent.
