Women play an important role in creating, driving and carrying forward human civilization. Advancing the cause of women, therefore, is not the task of a single nation but the shared responsibility of the global community.

In 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women was held in Beijing. It adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which laid out a blueprint for promoting gender equality and women's development.

Thirty years later, Beijing hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women (GLMW) on October 13-14, reaching yet another milestone in the global pursuit of women's growth and development. 

"Through steadfast devotion, a lasting fragrance remains."

President Xi Jinping quoted this line in his keynote address at the event's opening ceremony. The line comes from Zuoyouming (Motto) by Cui Yuan, a Chinese calligrapher and philosopher from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). It conveys the idea that virtuous conduct and persistent effort leave a lasting legacy—much like a fine scent that lingers long after its source is gone.

By invoking this ancient saying, Xi called on the international community to carry forward the spirit of the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women, bear in mind the goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity, accelerate the process of women's all-round development and work together to create a better future for humankind.

The quote also reflects the progress China itself has made in advancing women's development over the past three decades. Today, some 690 million women nationwide live a moderately prosperous life. The average life expectancy of Chinese women has risen to 80.9 years. In 2024, women accounted for 50.76 percent of all higher education students in the country. They now represent more than 40 percent of the national workforce and more than half of all start-up founders in the Internet sector.

In the new era, Chinese women, more confident and energetic than ever, are taking part in state and social governance across all sectors, contributing their strength and wisdom to advancing Chinese modernization.

Meanwhile, China's development has provided both opportunities and support for the advancement of women globally.

China has partnered with UNESCO to set up the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. It has also launched a series of "small and beautiful" public interest initiatives, including those to improve maternal and child health and those to boost school enrollment rates among girls from low-income families. In addition, China has been actively promoting exchange and cooperation among women worldwide.

However, United Nations reports warn that more than 600 million women and girls worldwide are still trapped in wars and conflicts, some 2 billion still lack access to social protection, and nearly one in 10 lives in extreme poverty. There is still a long way to go before global gender equality is achieved, which calls for stronger cooperation, swifter action and enduring commitment from all sides.

In response to these challenges, Xi put forward four proposals at the opening ceremony of the GLMW, calling for joint efforts to foster an enabling environment for women's growth and development, cultivate powerful momentum for the high-quality development of women's cause, develop governance frameworks to protect women's rights and interests, and write a new chapter in promoting global cooperation on women.

Xi also announced that China will donate another $10 million to UN Women over the next five years and earmark a quota of $100 million in China's Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund for partnering with international organizations on development cooperation projects for women and girls.

The country will also launch 1,000 "small and beautiful" livelihood programs with Chinese assistance that take women and girls as priority beneficiaries, invite 50,000 women to China for exchange and training programs and establish a Global Center for Women's Capacity Building, which is aimed at conducting cooperation with relevant countries and international organizations to cultivate more female talent.

We live in a world where the future of all women is deeply interconnected. Therefore, the global community should come together to fully unleash that ultimate "she power," further advance the cause of women and write a new chapter in the global story of women's development. BR 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson

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