Peng calls for promoting women's full development

Exhibitors pose for a group photo at the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo at the Changsha International Convention and Exhibition Center in Changsha, Central China's Hunan province, June 29, 2023. [Photo by Gu Pengbo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Peng Liyuan, wife of President Xi Jinping, highlighted on Thursday the importance of women's empowerment both in China and Africa, and called for united efforts to promote comprehensive development of women.

Peng, who is also UNESCO Special Envoy for the Advancement of Girls' and Women's Education, made the remarks in a video address to the China-Africa Women's Forum, which opened on Thursday in Changsha, Hunan province, and runs through Sunday.

In different parts of Africa, women from China are actively working in medical teams, on peacekeeping missions, at infrastructure construction sites and in technical training programs, Peng said.

They are working together with African women to improve the quality of lives on the continent, and contribute to China-Africa friendship, she said.

Emphasizing that women's development marks the progress of human civilization, Peng said that both China and Africa place high importance on advancing women's causes.

China has taken measures to strengthen the legal system in protecting women's rights and interests, empowering women with better education, supporting women's entrepreneurship and innovation, and delivering better healthcare services to women and children, she said.

These measures are fostering a favorable environment for women's all-around development, she said.

Similarly, African countries are working hard to improve women's living and working conditions. They are making concerted efforts to lift women out of poverty, and encouraging women's participation in national and social governance, Peng said, adding that the efforts have produced positive results.

Empowering women not only changes their lives but also boosts economic and social development, she said, reiterating that China and Africa, as like-minded partners, always march together in promoting the development of women.

Given the challenges facing women's development, Peng stressed that solidarity and cooperation are needed now more than ever. She said she is ready to work with all parties to promote women's comprehensive development and strive for building a China-Africa community with a shared future.

The forum, co-hosted by the All-China Women's Federation and the Hunan Provincial People's Government, is the first of its kind aimed at promoting cooperation and exchanges of women from China and Africa in areas including agriculture, trade, culture and tourism.