CWU Opens 2016 Seminar on Gender and Development for Female Officials from Developing Countries

China Women's University (CWU) held an opening ceremony on October 18 for a 21-day seminar on gender and development for female officials from developing countries.

The event was co-sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) and CWU. Lu Yamin, vice-minister of the International Liaison Department of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), and CWU Vice-President Wang Jingxia participated in the ceremony and delivered speeches. Ye Shuiping, director of the CWU's International Cooperation Department, presided over the gathering. 

Lu expressed her heartfelt congratulations and warmly welcomed 55 trainees from 19 countries on behalf of the ACWF. She said that as the largest developing country in the world, China has put consolidating and strengthening friendly cooperation with developing countries as the important cornerstone of its diplomacy.

China is willing to provide assistance to the best of its ability to other developing countries within the framework of South-South cooperation, Lu said. China will unswervingly pursue the road of peaceful development, combine its own development with the prosperity of all countries in the world and boost common development, she added.

Lu also pointed out that the seminar aims to implement the achievements of the Global Summit of Women (GSW) and promote women's exchange and cooperation in developing countries. It is also the shared aspiration of these countries to achieve women's sustainable development. She hoped that all the trainees could improve their management abilities and join efforts to promote social development and gender equality.

The event is one of the practices to fulfill president Xi's commitment at the 2015 UN Summit on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. It aims to strengthen women's communications between China and other developing countries. Women can share their achievements and experiences in promoting gender equality, women's participation in social management and women's empowerment in economy and politics, said officials present.

During the ceremony, Wang warmly welcomed the trainees on behalf of CWU's teachers and students, and expressed her heartfelt thanks to ACWF and MOFCOM. She said, "As a university affiliated to ACWF and the first full-time women's university in China, CWU has many advantages in its academic mission, discipline construction, women and gender studies, and international exchanges."

Wang hoped that trainees could share each others cultural knowledge, management experience and contribute to the development and construction of their own countries. She also hoped that the trainees could further improve their professional accomplishments and ability in promoting women's vocational development and women's participation in social development.

Gazua Matrouk Hunyyian, an officer from the Jordanian Ministry of Social Development, gave a lecture on behalf of all the trainees. She thanked the Chinese government for holding the seminar and thanked the CWU for arranging training courses. She promised to cherish the opportunity, learn more about Chinese culture and contribute to women's progress in developing countries.

The trainees came from governments, financial departments, women's federations, and human services departments of 19 developing countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Ghana, Belarus, Lesotho, Kenya, Costa Rica, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Sudan and the Philippines.

(Source: China Women's University/Translated and edited by Gender Study Network)