By Ebi Kesiena
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for stronger inclusion of women in politics and governance, saying their participation is essential to ensure gender equality becomes “truly internalised” within society.
Speaking at the Global Leaders Meeting on Women in Beijing on Monday, Xi urged nations to “broaden channels for women to participate in political and decision-making, and promote women’s broad participation in national and social governance.”
The two-day summit, organised in collaboration with UN Women, aims to advance gender equality and women’s development across the world. Leaders from Iceland, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Dominica, and Mozambique are attending, according to state media.
Xi emphasised that peace and stability are vital foundations for women’s overall development.
China has made significant progress in women’s education, with women now making up about half of all higher education students and roughly 43 per cent of the employed population. However, the continued absence of women in senior political positions contrasts sharply with the country’s stated commitment to gender representation.
The United Nations raised concerns in 2023 about the lack of women in China’s top leadership, urging the government to introduce statutory quotas and a gender parity system to accelerate women’s participation in governance.
In 2022, China’s 24-member Politburo did not include a single woman for the first time in two decades, and none were appointed to the seven-member Standing Committee.
Under Xi’s leadership, analysts and activists note a decline in the number of women holding elite political positions and a widening gender gap in the workforce.
Xi has previously said that women play an essential role in shaping society, stressing in 2023 that they must help foster a “new trend of family” as China faces an ageing population and falling birth rate.
“Doing a good job in women’s work is not only related to women’s own development but also to family harmony, social harmony, national development, and national progress,” he said.
