Participants make a video call while attending the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women in Beijing, China, on October 13 /XINHUA/ZHANG YUWEI)
In an age where economies are driven by innovation and nations compete on ideas as much as industries, one truth remains constant – no society can truly progress if half of its population is left behind. Women are not just participants in development; they are its foundation. From the farms of rural Kenya to the laboratories of Shanghai, from Nairobi’s start-ups to the villages of Southeast Asia, empowering women has become the key to unlocking inclusive growth.
Thirty years after the historic Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the world gathered again in the same city this year – to measure how far we have come and to renew our collective commitment to equality. The conference’s original message – ‘Action for Equality, Development, and Peace’ – still resonates deeply. It reminds us that gender equality is not a Western ideal or an abstract slogan; it is a universal principle that determines the strength and sustainability of any nation’s development.
