Global female leaders gathered in Beijing from October 13–14 for the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women, co-hosted by China and UN Women. The event marked two major milestones — the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, where the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted, shaping global progress toward gender equality.
At the meeting, Darja Bavdaz Kuret, Slovenia’s Special Envoy and Ambassador at Large for Women, Peace and Security, underscored the importance of empowering women through education and economic independence. She emphasized that women are not only victims in conflicts but also peacebuilders, providers of security, and agents of change.
Kuret highlighted that empowering women is key to encouraging their participation in politics and decision-making. “In order for women to decide to go into politics, they have to be empowered. That means they have to be educated, economically empowered, and independent,” she stated.
She also spoke about the unique value women bring to society.
What women bring to society is a woman’s perspective, which is slightly different from that of men. It is not better, it is not worse, but it is different. Because women as part of the family, we have different responsibilities, so we bring a little bit more emotions, which is sometimes considered a weakness, but I don’t consider that a weakness. We bring a different perspective, but what is most important, without women, it is very difficult to build something sustainable and long-lasting.
She concluded that this meeting showed that the question of gender equality and women’s empowerment is still needed. And that we still need to advocate.
Source: CGTN
