Joint efforts for gender equality stressed

Beijing said it will take the opportunity of the 30th anniversary of two landmark documents on women's causes to work with the international community to inject new driving forces in this area.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian made the remarks on Wednesday after a panel discussion themed on commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was held at the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The two documents were adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in September 1995.

More than 17,000 participants attended the landmark conference, which "marked a significant turning point for the global agenda for gender equality", the UN said.

The panel discussion in commemoration was held in Geneva on Monday, according to a resolution submitted by China and other countries, Lin said at a regular news conference, adding that Liu Yang, China's first female astronaut in space, delivered a keynote speech via video link.

In her speech, Liu said the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action have laid a solid foundation for improving the status of women around the world.

Liu said she is "a beneficiary and practitioner of the spirit of the declaration, as well as a witness to women's empowerment through science and technology".

Men and women follow the same set of standards in China's training and selection of astronauts, she said, adding that China has been creating a system that ensures women participate in fair competition.

Recalling her first trip to outer space in 2012, Liu said: "When the engine of Shenzhou Spaceship was ignited, I felt not only the shock of the 600-ton thrust but also the support of hundreds of millions of Chinese women."

In China, the net rate of female children enrolled in junior high schools has reached almost 100 percent, and females make up nearly 50 percent of university and college students, Liu said.

The astronaut said she believes that through relentless efforts and cooperation, the world will see further progress in gender equality and women's empowerment in the next 30 years, when "more and more women break the boundaries of their lives and achieve comprehensive development".

wangqingyun@chinadaily.com.cn