China pledges US$110 million for women’s empowerment at Beijing global summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged US$110 million for female empowerment worldwide as the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women got under way in Beijing on Monday.

The two-day event co-hosted by China and UN Women commemorates the 30th anniversary of the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women in the Chinese capital.

The 1995 conference, where 189 countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, is widely regarded as a global turning point for gender equality.

Delivering a keynote speech on Monday, Xi called for an “inclusive and harmonious social environment where women are free from discrimination and prejudice”.

Women’s all-round development still faced “complex challenges” and was a shared global duty, the Chinese leader said, as he pledged to donate US$10 million to UN Women over the next five years.

Another US$100 million would be earmarked for the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund to work with international organisations on promoting the development of women and girls.