Hung Stephanie Yujie, Vice President of Hong Kong Federation of Women, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech
date：2023-12-21 17:29:15 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. Hung Stephanie Yujie, Vice President of Hong Kong Federation of Women, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech.
Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, and sisters, good day to all!
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, and I am honored to represent the Hong Kong Federation of Women at this forum. Founded on June 28, 1993, by Dr. Peggy Lam Pei Yu-dja, our first chairwoman, with ten renowned ladies including Annie Wu Suk-ching, Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, Elsie Leung Oi-sie, and others, the federation has been chaired by Ms. Pansy Ho since 2017. Our mission is to unite women from all walks of life in Hong Kong, focus on Hong Kong affairs, strive for and safeguard women’s rights, and maintain exchanges with global women’s organizations.
Regarding today’s theme forum 2 topic, I’d like to share insights into three aspects.
Firstly, as a barrister in Hong Kong and a doctoral student at Tsinghua Law School, I believe professional women can play a more significant role in promoting Hong Kong’s development and contributing to the Belt and Road Initiative. As economic cooperation and personnel exchanges between Hong Kong and Belt and Road countries intensify, so do legal disputes. Hong Kong, being the only jurisdiction within China practicing common law, can leverage this unique advantage to establish an international dispute resolution service center. Professional women can provide diversified, high-level legal services to Belt and Road countries, constructing a ‘rule highway’ to aid Hong Kong in becoming a ‘super hub’ of legal exchange. In this process, safeguarding women’s rights and promoting gender equality through legal means is crucial.
Secondly, in telling the stories of Hong Kong and the Belt and Road to the world, we professional women can fully utilize our soft power. In 2019, the federation founded the ‘Women Power Forum,’ an international platform for women’s empowerment built in China. It fosters cross-industry brainstorming and promotes women-led social innovation. Supported by the All-China Women’s Federation, the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the third session of the forum, themed ‘Making the Impossible Possible: Women Trailblazer,’ was successfully held this June at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. The forum gathered outstanding women from various professional fields across China and the world, promoting development from diverse perspectives and collaborating on building a shared human destiny. The event, with over 350 attendees and more than 200,000 online viewers, showcased the unlimited potential of ‘She Power.’
This morning, Chairman Pansy Ho also mentioned that at the end of October, the federation, in conjunction with the Asia-Africa Women's Development and Rights Protection Promotion Association, hosted ‘the Third Asia-Africa Women’s Development and Cooperation Forum’ in Hong Kong. The event brought together leaders and businesswomen from Malawi, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Tanzania, and African and Asian ambassadors in China, discussing ‘Carry Forward the Silk Road, Working Together for the Future.’
The federation holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Since participating in ‘the Fourth World Women Conference’ in Beijing in 1995, we have been regularly attending the ‘United Nations Commission on the Status of Women’ and hosting parallel events, telling the world about Hong Kong as an international, safe, and dynamic city. The Hong Kong government has been implementing a series of policies to empower women in the workplace. Showcasing the stories of outstanding women in Hong Kong is an essential part of telling Hong Kong’s story. We plan to go to New York next year to demonstrate how Hong Kong women are contributing to the Belt and Road Initiative, bridging the poverty gap, and promoting gender equality.
Thirdly, the federation pays special attention to women’s physical and mental health, as robust health is a key element in developing society and building harmonious, happy families, with women being the guardians of family health. For over two decades, the federation has organized various health-related seminars and activities, including health carnivals, ‘Family Health Month,’ thousands of free gynecological exams and bone density tests, promoting community exercise, producing ‘Easy Exercise’ videos, and setting up a "Health Hotline" with doctors providing free health advice during the pandemic.
The federation is preparing to offer ‘Green and Sustainable Finance Training’ (ESG Training), enhancing women’s professional knowledge and its application in the workplace. We have also been promoting the ‘He for She, He for Family’ initiative and filial piety education, encouraging everyone to actively build their roles in the family, inherit Chinese traditional culture, and contribute to building a family-friendly society.
Finally, I am grateful for this opportunity to interact in beautiful Sanya and hope we can collectively display our unique ‘She Power’ and ‘She Spirit’ to build and share a beautiful Belt and Road future. Thank you!
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.
Hung Stephanie Yujie, Vice President of Hong Kong Federation of Women, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech
Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, and sisters, good day to all!
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, and I am honored to represent the Hong Kong Federation of Women at this forum. Founded on June 28, 1993, by Dr. Peggy Lam Pei Yu-dja, our first chairwoman, with ten renowned ladies including Annie Wu Suk-ching, Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, Elsie Leung Oi-sie, and others, the federation has been chaired by Ms. Pansy Ho since 2017. Our mission is to unite women from all walks of life in Hong Kong, focus on Hong Kong affairs, strive for and safeguard women’s rights, and maintain exchanges with global women’s organizations.
Regarding today’s theme forum 2 topic, I’d like to share insights into three aspects.
Firstly, as a barrister in Hong Kong and a doctoral student at Tsinghua Law School, I believe professional women can play a more significant role in promoting Hong Kong’s development and contributing to the Belt and Road Initiative. As economic cooperation and personnel exchanges between Hong Kong and Belt and Road countries intensify, so do legal disputes. Hong Kong, being the only jurisdiction within China practicing common law, can leverage this unique advantage to establish an international dispute resolution service center. Professional women can provide diversified, high-level legal services to Belt and Road countries, constructing a ‘rule highway’ to aid Hong Kong in becoming a ‘super hub’ of legal exchange. In this process, safeguarding women’s rights and promoting gender equality through legal means is crucial.
Secondly, in telling the stories of Hong Kong and the Belt and Road to the world, we professional women can fully utilize our soft power. In 2019, the federation founded the ‘Women Power Forum,’ an international platform for women’s empowerment built in China. It fosters cross-industry brainstorming and promotes women-led social innovation. Supported by the All-China Women’s Federation, the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the third session of the forum, themed ‘Making the Impossible Possible: Women Trailblazer,’ was successfully held this June at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. The forum gathered outstanding women from various professional fields across China and the world, promoting development from diverse perspectives and collaborating on building a shared human destiny. The event, with over 350 attendees and more than 200,000 online viewers, showcased the unlimited potential of ‘She Power.’
This morning, Chairman Pansy Ho also mentioned that at the end of October, the federation, in conjunction with the Asia-Africa Women's Development and Rights Protection Promotion Association, hosted ‘the Third Asia-Africa Women’s Development and Cooperation Forum’ in Hong Kong. The event brought together leaders and businesswomen from Malawi, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Tanzania, and African and Asian ambassadors in China, discussing ‘Carry Forward the Silk Road, Working Together for the Future.’
The federation holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Since participating in ‘the Fourth World Women Conference’ in Beijing in 1995, we have been regularly attending the ‘United Nations Commission on the Status of Women’ and hosting parallel events, telling the world about Hong Kong as an international, safe, and dynamic city. The Hong Kong government has been implementing a series of policies to empower women in the workplace. Showcasing the stories of outstanding women in Hong Kong is an essential part of telling Hong Kong’s story. We plan to go to New York next year to demonstrate how Hong Kong women are contributing to the Belt and Road Initiative, bridging the poverty gap, and promoting gender equality.
Thirdly, the federation pays special attention to women’s physical and mental health, as robust health is a key element in developing society and building harmonious, happy families, with women being the guardians of family health. For over two decades, the federation has organized various health-related seminars and activities, including health carnivals, ‘Family Health Month,’ thousands of free gynecological exams and bone density tests, promoting community exercise, producing ‘Easy Exercise’ videos, and setting up a "Health Hotline" with doctors providing free health advice during the pandemic.
The federation is preparing to offer ‘Green and Sustainable Finance Training’ (ESG Training), enhancing women’s professional knowledge and its application in the workplace. We have also been promoting the ‘He for She, He for Family’ initiative and filial piety education, encouraging everyone to actively build their roles in the family, inherit Chinese traditional culture, and contribute to building a family-friendly society.
Finally, I am grateful for this opportunity to interact in beautiful Sanya and hope we can collectively display our unique ‘She Power’ and ‘She Spirit’ to build and share a beautiful Belt and Road future. Thank you!
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.