摘要：Lead: At the current pace, closing the gender gap will take 134 years. However, China's approach to women's empowerment, backed by
Lead: At the current pace, closing the gender gap will take 134 years. However, China's approach to women's empowerment, backed by investment and policy, demonstrates that faster progress is indeed possible.
By Zoon Ahmed Khan
In 1995, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action unified the global call for women's empowerment, "seeking equality, development and peace through action" for the first time in human history. Today, 30 years later, China has once again demonstrated timely leadership in the cause of women's empowerment through hosting the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing from Oct. 13 to 14.
China serves as a critical role model today as it did then, treating gender equality as a core mandate of national development and demonstrating that women's advancement drives lasting socioeconomic progress. In particular, China has highlighted that the need for action transcends national borders and domestic policies. Whether it is through the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Governance Initiative, or the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women last week, China is ready to spearhead and invest in the most transformative change of our time.
For far too long, gender equality and women's empowerment have been considered neither a principle nor a strategic decision. Instead, women's emancipation and their ability to exercise their free will have been erroneously linked with the disruption of the family unit, cultural or religious values, and the stability of society at large. To conceive and to treat women as inferior, less rational, and incapable of responsibly practicing their autonomy was not the exception but the norm.
And so, by establishing a comprehensive and enduring global framework for advancing gender equality, setting a historic benchmark for women's rights, the Beijing Declaration profoundly shifted the international discourse by unequivocally asserting that "women's rights are human rights." It pushed governments worldwide to enact laws and policies based on its 12 critical areas of concern: poverty, education, health, violence, armed conflict, economy, power and decision-making, among others.
Decades later, it remains the most influential global roadmap for women's empowerment, inspiring civil society to mobilize and holding leaders accountable for progress. But the question remains: Beyond acknowledgment and rhetoric, what tangible progress has been made in achieving gender equality since then? And how have recent uncertainties, including the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, climate change, and other global crises, impacted women?
Since 1995, women's representation in parliaments worldwide has more than doubled, increasing from 11.3% to 27.2%, though progress has slowed considerably since 2015. The number of countries with laws against gender-based violence has increased from roughly 12 to 162. Educational access for girls has also significantly improved, with a 39% decrease in the number of out-of-school girls.
However, according to UNICEF, even in 2025, 122 million girls remain out of school globally. Women's labor force participation has remained stagnant for years, currently standing at 42% compared with 72% for men globally. Women earn 77% of what men make for the same work and are disproportionately concentrated in underpaid and undervalued jobs.
The lack of affordable, quality child care and women's default role as unpaid caregivers continues to hold them back from reaching their full potential. Women also remain the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, conflict and poverty. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, government lockdowns and budget cuts have widened gender inequality. At the current rate of progress, it will take at least 134 years to close the global gender gap.
In these uncertain times, hosting the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women has once again placed women's rights, safety and dignity at the center of global governance. It has served as an opportunity to reaffirm the commitments made 30 years ago, inject new momentum in the advancement of women's rights, and exchange on critical challenges and potential solutions. The theme "One Shared Future: New and Accelerated Process for Women's All-round Development" further amplifies the urgency for collective action and the need for concerted efforts.
During the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping made four proposals: to jointly foster an enabling environment for women's growth and development, to jointly cultivate powerful momentum for the high-quality development of women's causes, to jointly develop governance frameworks to protect women's rights and interests, and to jointly write a new chapter in promoting global cooperation on women.
He also announced a series of financial commitments and programs to support women, including an additional $10 million donation to U.N. Women, $100 million for projects dedicated to women and girls through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, the launch of 1,000 "small and beautiful" livelihood programs prioritizing women and girls, invitations for 50,000 women to visit China for training and exchanges, and the establishment of a new Global Center for Women's Capacity Building. All of this, coupled with China's own historic achievements in bridging the gender gap since 2012, marks a paradigm shift.
For far too long, developing countries have been lectured by the Global North with limited clarity, solutions or suitable demonstrations. On the other hand, China has walked the walk. Economic growth with development has been a long-term, pragmatic and consistent effort that followed a clear mandate: to uplift Chinese society and embark on the journey of modernization, leaving no one behind.
A closer look at "China's Achievements in Women's Well-Rounded Development in the New Era," released by the State Council Information Office last month, provides a deeper understanding of this process. The philosophy, principles, practices and results of a well-rounded, holistic and targeted approach have been demonstrated. This document alone can serve as a guideline for countries, especially developing ones, to figure out where to start and what works.
China's experience also substantiates the growing body of evidence that correlates women's increased representation in decision-making roles and as leaders with positive outcomes. They bring unique strengths to the table, including empathy, creativity and a collaborative approach. And thus, the long-held myth that gender diversity is a principled rather than a pragmatic and strategic way forward is rightfully being questioned.
Women's education levels and financial autonomy have similarly been linked with positive impacts on children's health, education and overall well-being, making investing in women and creating an enabling environment for their progress an accelerator for society's progress. The issue of double-shift, where women are expected to work full time and continue to be the primary caregivers and homemakers, is also addressed in the white paper, making it a policy for men to be equally involved and for marriage to be a partnership between equals.
This is a template for all governments to follow. Unless a precedent is set and the well-being of family and society ceases to lie on the glorification of women's silent sacrifices and suffering, no woman can truly be emancipated.
As we celebrate a new breakthrough in global governance, shared commitment and responsibilities, we must move away from lip service and symbolic gestures. Passing laws, introducing policies and improving urban representation accomplish little if they shift focus away from rural regions where women face the greatest challenges.
Rural revitalization, poverty alleviation, safer public spaces and targeted programs for women are important steps. It is imperative to recognize that all aspects of governance have the capacity to play a positive role: health, social, economic and educational. Each step counts. This is particularly urgent in conservative societies where religion and tradition have long been weaponized to deny women's autonomy. As China demonstrates, governments, scholars, artists and youth all need to step up to inspire a culture of inclusivity, dignity and social consciousness.
Thirty years on, the conversation has evolved. The reality for millions of women has transformed. And the realization is increasingly widespread that women assuming a greater role and responsibility is a service to society at large, rather than a moral sacrifice.
Yet progress has been uneven, and women become the first casualty amid uncertainty, conflict, poverty or climate crises. This can change if we place a higher premium on results over rhetoric, and the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women offers a precious opportunity to galvanize collective efforts and serve as "a new historic point" for a safer and more prosperous world.
Zoon Ahmed Khan is a research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization.
来源：中国网一点号
