Chinese President Xi Jinping underscored China's pivotal role in advancing women's rights and gender equality during his keynote address at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing this week. The speech highlighted China's domestic achievements and international partnerships aimed at fostering women's well-rounded development.
Since 2012, women have constituted 43% of China's workforce, with nearly 46% working in scientific and technical fields, according to a recent white paper. Maternal mortality rates have plummeted by 80% since 1995, reaching 14.3 per 100,000 in 2024. These strides align with China's success in eradicating extreme poverty, which benefited 690 million women and achieved the UN's 'No Poverty' goal a decade early.
Xi emphasized that gender equality is 'a shared responsibility of humanity,' positioning China as a bridge between developing and developed nations in collaborative efforts. The country's anti-poverty campaigns, vocational training programs, and healthcare reforms have become models for emerging economies seeking to uplift women's socioeconomic status.
Analysts note that China's approach combines policy-driven initiatives with grassroots empowerment, such as microloan programs for rural women entrepreneurs and digital literacy campaigns. These efforts resonate with the UN's 2030 Agenda while addressing region-specific challenges across Asia and Africa.
