Ceremony for the Exchange and Training Base for Global Womens Development Cooperation

Excellency Mr. Luo Zhaohui, Chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), 

Excellency Ms. Huang Xiaowei, Vice President of the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF), 

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to join you at this ceremony, to support women and girls worldwide and their vital role in realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

According to the International Labour Organization, the current global labour force participation rate for women is just under 47%. For men, it's 72%. That's a difference of 25 percentage points, with some regions facing a gap of more than 50 percentage points. 

I commend Chairman Luo of CIDCA for undertaking this important initiative. Women have been at the cornerstone of the formidable economic growth China has experienced over the past 4 decades, lifting over 780 million people out of abject poverty.

This is the model that developing countries striving to end poetry must emulate.

Therefore, it is key to invest in women's empowerment, education and employment.

On women’s empowerment, more work remains to be done. Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in leadership positions in both government and the private sector, continue to be paid 80% of that men receive for similar work, and 60% of women work in the informal economy, without access to social protection services. 

Women also bear a disproportionate share of unpaid care work, performing more than three-quarters of care work, and estimates suggest that in 2050, women will continue to spend 2.5 more hours per day on this work than men. 

If this work were assigned a monetary value, it would represent up to 40% of GDP in some countries.

As the UN Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, expressed on International Women’s Day, “Gender equality is the strong foundation of the entire 2030 Agenda - from ending poverty to securing peace.”

That is why we should be concerned that over 342 million women and girls will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030 if current trends persist.

Meanwhile, given the slow pace of change, the share of women globally in workplace management positions will only reach 30% by 2050.

To tackle these challenges and others, such as violence against women and girls and unpaid care work, the shift in attitudes and the financial investments needed to bridge such gaps are substantial, but they are essential for accelerating the SDGs.

Here, we emphasize the pivotal role of women’s leadership. 

Studies show that ensuring full and effective participation and equal leadership opportunities for women can enhance a range of development outcomes, from accelerating peacemaking processes to enacting effective climate change policies.

That is why the UN in China works to prioritize and mainstream gender equality and women’s empowerment principles within our activities, projects and programmes, and in our partnerships with the Government of China.

With only six years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), our journey towards gender equality is far from over, and closing these gender gaps is not only a prerequisite for achieving the SDGs but could give the global economy a US$ 7 trillion boost.

The training programme being inaugurated today will provide important opportunities for women to receive training that will empower them and create new opportunities for contributions to sustainable development globally. 

The UN in China stands ready to collaborate with CIDCA and ACWF to close gender gaps and ensure women and girls globally can achieve their full potential.

Thank you.