Consensus of the second Asian-African Forum on Women’s Development and Cooperation

The second Asian-African Women’s Development and Cooperation Forum organized by the Women Empowerment & Development Society in Asia-Africa was held in Beijing on September 22, 2022. Yu Hongjun, former vice minister of the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee, JinNuo, former vice president of the all-China Women’s Federation, Xu Jianguo, secretary general of the China Foundation for Peace and Development, and diplomatic envoys and representatives of international organizations from Asia and Africa were invited to attend.

Zhao Meiling, president of the WEDS.AA, delivered a welcome speech. His Excellency Joyce Banda, former president of Malawi, delivered a video speech, Vice Minister Yu Hongjun and Vice Chairman Jin Nuo delivered a keynote speech

Zhao Meiling, president of the WEDS.AA, delivered a welcome speech. His Excellency Joyce Banda, former president of Malawi, delivered a video speech, Vice Minister Yu Hongjun and Vice Chairman Jin Nuo delivered a keynote speech, and Sao Tome Ambassador to China and other distinguished guests respectively delivered speeches. Chinese enterprise Foherb（Tianjin ）Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. introduced their experience in promoting the development of the health cause.

During the forum, a roundtable dialogue was held with the theme of “How to Help Develop She Economy”. The wife of the Ambassador of Sierra Leone to China, the Minister of Nepal, the Counsellor of Indonesia, the Counsellor of Pakistan and the Counsellor of South Sudan shared their experiences in women’s economic development and put forward suggestions on further deepening exchanges and mutual learning and win-win cooperation.

The Global Women and Children Development Project, jointly launched by the China Foundation for Peace and Development and the WEDS.AA completed the program of Love in Malawi, the first public welfare project.

During the forum, a photo exhibition with the theme of “Asian and African Women, Development hand in hand” was also held. Nearly 10 embassies in China and a number of Chinese enterprises participated.

Participants spoke freely, reviewed the course of women’s development, shared women’s development experience, expounded the opportunities and challenges facing women’s career development, actively made suggestions and reached a broad consensus:

It has been noted that the continuous development of women’s cause in recent years highlights the importance of the political leading role of governments, especially leaders, and is inseparable from the extensive participation of all sectors of the society. The progress of Chinese women’s cause is closely related to the development of global women’s cause. The development of women’s cause is inseparable from simultaneous economic and social development and sincere cooperation in the global women’s cause.

It is recognized that the development of women’s careers in Asian and African countries is still very uneven, and there is still a big gap between them and the expectations of the majority of women. The epidemic situation in some areas is serious, the turbulence is frequent, and the information gap and the gap between the rich and the poor have intensified, causing more and more uncertainty to the development of women’s careers.

We firmly believe that inclusiveness and mutual trust and deepening cooperation are the best choice for solving difficult problems, seeking development and win-win results. The continuous deepening of the construction of “Belt and Road Initiative” has brought new opportunities of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits for women’s development.

Strengthening cultural exchanges and mutual learning is an important way to enhance people-to-people communication. Women shoulder the important mission of human inheritance and human virtue inheritance. Similarly, women should become ambassadors to spread the excellent culture of various countries.

Warmly congratulate the China Peace and Development Foundation and the Asian-African Association for the Promotion of Women’s Development and Rights and interests on the official launch of the Global Women and Children Development Project. This will bring hope to more and more women and children, and the future is promising. I would like to express my high respect to enterprises and people from all walks of life who care about and support the development of women’s cause.

It is agreed that against the background of repeated global epidemics and intensified geopolitical conflicts, diplomatic envoys and guests from all walks of life from the Asian and African regions have gathered online and offline to seek common development. It fully reflects the unique value of hosting the second Asian-African Women’s Development and Cooperation Forum. All parties spoke highly of the distinguished guests’ wonderful speeches and expressed warm congratulations on the successful holding of the forum.

Beijing, September 22, 2022

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