Musaeva Aktilek, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to China, attended the opening ceremony
date：2023-12-15 16:45:12 hits：
The 5th Belt and Road Women’s Forum successfully convened in Sanya, Hainan from December 6-8. Co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and the UN Resident Coordinator Office in China, and jointly organized by the People’s Government of Sanya City, the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development, and the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Women’s Forum. Chen Xi, Mayor of the People’s Government of Sanya City, attended the opening ceremony of the forum and delivered a speech.
Musaeva Aktilek, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to China, deliver a speech.
Dear Vice-President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Mr. Li Хikui!
Dear Deputy Chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Ms. Cheng Hong!
Dear participants of the event,
Dear friends!
First of all, let me express my gratitude to the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Leadership of the People's Government of Hainan Province for organizing and holding such an important event.
An important issue in the gender policy of any country remains ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men. The Kyrgyz Republic has made significant progress on this issue.
In Kyrgyzstan, women are active participants in the economic life of the country. The successful economic activity of women undoubtedly makes a positive contribution to the socio-economic development of the republic.
Kyrgyzstan has a solid legislative framework guaranteeing equality between men and women. The Kyrgyz Republic has acceded to more than 50 international covenants, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action, etc. The Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic adopted the next long-term National Strategy for achieving gender equality by 2030.
An institutional mechanism has been formed in Kyrgyzstan, which covers the formation of gender legislation, the development of gender statistics, and the formation of a policy of special measures to support women's leadership.
Kyrgyzstan has legislation in the field of gender equality regarding women's political participation. The legislation requires that a political party, when determining its list of candidates, must take into account representation: no more than 70% of candidates of the same gender. Thus, according to the results of the elections to the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of the country in November 2021, 19 women were elected.
The majority of socially oriented businesses and projects in the field of education are implemented by women. The number of women in the country is more than 3.3 million people or 50.4% of the total population. In general, women's employment by type of economic activity reaches 38.4%.
Women of Kyrgyzstan have always made a huge contribution to the development and prosperity of the country. Without their active participation, it is impossible to count on the revival and enhancement of the spiritual values of a multinational people, strengthening the morality of society and preserving the best traits of the national character.
The role of the first woman President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Roza Otunbaeva, who made a significant contribution to the development of modern statehood, including diplomacy, should be noted.
The First Lady of the Kyrgyz Republic, Aigul Japarova, heads the Public Foundation “Ene-balaga tirek” (“Support for Mother and Child”), which is designed, first of all, to help children and mothers, improve their quality of life, protect and develop their potential. The Foundation implements its activities through projects in many sectors, such as education, health, economic well-being, ecology, culture, and human rights.
China has impressive experience in ensuring gender equality. Currently, China has a legal system covering more than 100 laws and regulations to fully ensure the rights and interests of women and girls. Women in China actively participate in the economic life of society and also carry out successful commercial activities; 55% of new Internet companies were started by women. China is now one of the top 10 countries in women's and children's health, having essentially eliminated gender differences in access to compulsory education.
China, as a member of the UN, is actively promoting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. As part of this, China is participating in various programs and financial initiatives aimed at increasing gender inclusion and strengthening the rights of women and girls.
It is important to note that Kyrgyzstan and China actively cooperate in the field of women's rights. As part of this cooperation, various activities are carried out, such as the exchange of experience and knowledge, training, and conferences, which allow for maintaining friendly ties and contribute to strengthening the friendship between the two countries.
For many years, the Kyrgyz side has maintained friendly contacts with the All-China Women's Federation. One of the joint and successful projects of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and China in the field of women’s rights is the “Educated Woman – Educated Country” project. These are free courses for Kyrgyz women on the basics of information technology, business planning, and public speaking.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends!
Today's forum will provide important impetus to the overall cause of empowering all women. This forum is a good dialogue platform for discussing the importance of women’s contribution to the development of society and will help women realize their potential.
I urge all participants to make joint efforts to create a more beautiful world for all people on the planet.
Most importantly, it is necessary to strengthen women's representation in the executive branch, in elected bodies of the state and municipal administration, to ensure access to quality education for women and girls, equality and non-discrimination, as well as access to justice and the promotion of women's economic activity.
At the end of my speech, I would like to thank you for the invitation to take part in this event and express the hope that today’s forum will become a platform for discussing the new roles and opportunities of women in the face of new challenges, uniting women in the interests of peace and laying the foundation for common success!
Thank you for your attention!
The theme of the forum, ‘She Power: Jointly Building and Sharing a Beautiful Life,’ reflects a focus on women’s unique contributions and empowerment within the context of the Belt and Road Initiative. Organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and the All-China Youth Federation, along with the People’s Government of Sanya City leadership, the forum brought together over 400 participants. These included the First Lady of Guyana, representatives from the United Nations, Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine, and ambassadors from Kyrgyzstan, Zambia, Maldives, Switzerland, Nepal, Guyana, Uganda, Mozambique, and various other countries, along with national and international business representatives.
During the forum, in-depth discussions and exchanges took place around the theme. Guests shared insights on the distinctive role played by women in the ten years since the Belt and Road Initiative was launched. They highlighted the substantial achievements of women and looked forward to the future of the initiative, advocating for women’s empowerment to foster common development and prosperity in human society.
2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past decade, the Belt and Road Women’s Forum has been instrumental in showcasing the unique role of women in the development of the Belt and Road Initiative, promoting comprehensive and sustainable development for women, and enhancing people-to-people connections among the participating countries. The forum has successfully established a platform for communication and collaboration among women across the Belt and Road countries, building bridges for mutual understanding and cooperation.