A Global Milestone: Beijing’s Women’s Meeting Reaffirms Commitments and Action Platform 30 Years After Historic Conference

Original article: Un nuevo hito mundial: Reunión Global sobre la Mujer en Beijing reafirma compromisos y Plataforma de Acción

A Global Milestone: Women’s Rights 30 Years After Beijing

On October 13 and 14, China and UN Women co-hosted the Global Leaders Meeting on Women in Beijing, under the theme «A Shared Future: A New and Accelerated Process for the Comprehensive Development of Women.» This event solemnly marked the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing held in 1995, reaffirmed commitments of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and called on countries to embrace their historical responsibilities, practice multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, and accelerate strong actions and cooperative efforts for a new process of comprehensive women’s development.

The President of China, Xi Jinping, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a significant speech emphasizing that women play a crucial role in creating, promoting, and advancing human civilization. He highlighted the shared responsibility of the international community to advance women’s causes. Xi urged for the creation of a conducive environment for women’s growth and development, fostering a vigorous drive for high-quality women’s development, establishing governance frameworks to protect their rights and interests, writing a new chapter in promoting global cooperation for women, and announced a series of new measures from China to support global women’s development:

In the next five years, China will donate an additional $10 million to UN Women; allocate $100 million to the China Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund to implement development cooperation projects benefiting women and girls in collaboration with international organizations; launch 1,000 «small and beautiful» welfare programs with Chinese assistance prioritizing women and girls as beneficiaries; invite 50,000 women to China for exchange and training programs; and establish the Global Women’s Capacity Building Center aimed at supporting accelerated global women’s development.

The pursuit of gender equality and women’s development is an inherent element and a basic policy of the People’s Republic of China. On the eve of the founding of new China in 1949, the «Common Program,» a constitutional document, clearly stipulated that «women have the same rights as men in political, economic, and social life,» a principle later reaffirmed in the Constitution. After the establishment of new China, women gained liberation, achieving «equal pay for equal work» and playing the role of «holding up half the sky» in national construction. China has integrated gender equality into its national governance, enacted the «Women’s Rights and Interests Protection Law»; and formulated and implemented three successive ten-year plans for women’s development, establishing objectives, measures, and monitoring indicators in eight areas: health, education, economy, decision-making and management, social security, family construction, environment, and law.

“In today’s China, gender equality and women’s development are a reality. Women have escaped absolute poverty alongside men; they represent over 40% of the labor force, more than half of internet company entrepreneurs, and over 60% of all medalists in the last four Summer Olympics. Women constitute over 50% of those receiving higher education and 37.7% of business leaders; the proportion of women among National People’s Congress delegates has risen to 26.54%, a 10 percentage point increase from three decades ago, with women holding significant positions such as State Councilors, Vice Chairs of the Standing Committee of the NPC, and governors. These achievements illustrate the contemporary interpretation of the principle that «women hold up half the sky,» as highlighted in the press release.

In this context, it is also noted that Chile has actively advanced gender equality and women’s development, establishing benchmarks with various concrete actions, and has enacted a Feminist Foreign Policy to support a greater role for women on the international stage. This year also marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Chile. Over these 55 years, contributions and the presence of women have been central to the bilateral relationship. Women from both countries have built a bridge of friendship across the Pacific with their wisdom and resilience. At this Global Conference, former President Michelle Bachelet and representatives from the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Women were present, voicing Chile’s commitment to accelerate action and strengthen solidarity in support of gender equality and women’s progress.

Looking ahead, women from all fields in both countries are expected to continue leveraging their talents and intelligence to foster greater understanding, trust, and friendship between Chile and China. Both sides anticipate strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation in gender equality and women’s empowerment, together promoting the shared values of humanity, including peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom, and working hand in hand to build a community with a shared future for humanity.