BEIJING, 13 October 2025 (TATOLI) – President Xi Jinping on Monday attended the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women at the National Convention Center in Beijing, where he delivered a keynote address, calling for renewed global efforts to accelerate women’s all-round development.
Delivering a speech titled “Carrying Forward the Spirit of the Beijing World Conference on Women and Promoting the New and Accelerated Process for Women’s All-Round Development,” President Xi underscored that women play an essential role in creating, promoting, and carrying forward human civilization.
He said the international community shares a collective responsibility to advance the cause of women. “Thirty years ago, the Fourth World Conference on Women set the lofty goal of ‘Action for Equality, Development and Peace,’ and adopted the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action,” Xi noted.
The President emphasized that gender equality has become a universal consensus and a defining pursuit of the times. Over the past three decades, he said, women’s empowerment has made remarkable progress worldwide, with more women achieving higher education and taking active roles in economic, political, cultural, and social life.
“A great many outstanding women have stepped up to take the international stage, living their lives to the full and making contributions with their wisdom and strength,” Xi said.
However, President Xi cautioned that complex challenges still hinder women’s full development, and achieving gender equality remains “a lofty yet arduous task.”
He urged nations to rekindle the spirit of the Beijing Conference, build greater consensus, and take concrete action to advance women’s rights and opportunities.
Xi put forward four proposals to accelerate the process of women’s all-round development:
First, he called for an enabling environment for women’s growth and development, emphasizing the need to safeguard world peace and protect women and girls in regions affected by war, poverty, or natural disasters. He urged stronger mechanisms against violence and a firm crackdown on all forms of abuse.
Second, the President advocated cultivating momentum for high-quality development of women’s causes. Xi said countries should address global imbalances in women’s development and ensure all women benefit from economic globalization, innovation, and modernization.
Third, he proposed improving governance frameworks to protect women’s rights. Xi highlighted the importance of better institutions, accessible policies, and equal access to quality education and healthcare. He called for greater political participation by women and the promotion of gender equality as a universal social value.
Fourth, he urged nations to write a new chapter in global cooperation, supporting women’s roles in global governance and ensuring developing countries’ needs are prioritized through United Nations platforms.
President Xi also announced China’s Commitments to Global Women’s Empowerment.
Xi reaffirmed that the cause of women is an integral part of China’s modernization efforts.
He said women in China now “hold up half the sky” and have made historic contributions to the nation’s economic and social progress.
To further support global women’s development, China will take a series of new initiatives over the next five years. These include:
- Donating US$10 million to UN Women;
- Allocating US$100 million from the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund for projects benefiting women and girls;
- Launching 1,000 “small and beautiful” livelihood programs with Chinese assistance;
- Hosting 50,000 women in China for exchange and training programs; and
- Establishing a Global Center for Women’s Capacity Building to train female talent in partnership with other countries and international organizations.
Xi concluded by calling for unity in advancing gender equality. “Standing at a new historic starting point, China is ready to work with all sides to carry forward the spirit of the Beijing World Conference on Women, bear in mind the goal of a community with a shared future for humanity, and jointly create a better future for the human race,” he said.
Other speakers at the opening ceremony included President Halla Tómasdóttir of Iceland, President Sylvanie Burton of Dominica, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, Prime Minister Maria Benvinda Delfina Levi of Mozambique, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya of Sri Lanka, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, and UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous.
The leaders welcomed China’s initiatives and reaffirmed the significance of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted 30 years ago as a global roadmap for women’s advancement.
Speakers commended China’s achievements in poverty reduction, gender equality, and women’s rights protection, noting the country’s leadership and contributions to global women’s development. They emphasized that gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential for the sustainable development of humanity, and called on the international community to strengthen solidarity and cooperation.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to carry forward the spirit of the Beijing World Conference on Women, promote mutual learning, and work toward achieving the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
