Strengthen She Power for a New Chapter Together- National Women's Month Celebrations

Remarks by Ambassador Wu Peng at the
Women’s Month Reception

Your Excellency Ms. Nonceba Losi, Deputy Director General of DIRCO,

My Sisters from DIRCO,
Good afternoon! Today, we get together with our sisters from DIRCO and the female diplomats from Chinese Embassy to celebrate South Africa’s Women's Month.
On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, I would like to extend a warm welcome and sincere festive greetings to all of you!
The short video we just watched recorded the wonderful moments of Chinese and South African women shining in their respective fields. These are amazing achievements by women from both countries!
We saw how the South African gold medalist in the women's 100-meter breaststroke, Tatjana Smith, and China's silver medalist, Tang Qianting, embraced each other after the race. That was the most touching moment for me at the Paris Olympics.
This is women's warm interpretation of sportswomanship. It beautifully captures the warm friendship between the Chinese and South African peoples.
In China we say, “women hold up half the sky”. With approximately 690 million women, China accounts for about 18% of the world’s women population.
China has established a comprehensive legal system to protect women's rights and interests, including more than 100 laws and regulations.
The average life expectancy of Chinese women has risen from 37 years at the time of the founding of the People's Republic of China 75 years ago to 80 years.
China is one of the 10 countries listed by the World Health Organization as a high-performing country in terms of maternal and child health.
Gender disparity in compulsory education has been essentially eliminated in China, and women make up over 40% of the workforce in China.
Professor Tu Youyou, a Chinese female scientist, discovered artemisinin in traditional Chinese medicine and pioneered a new treatment for malaria.
The treatment saved millions of lives globally. Around 240 million people benefited from artemisinin-based combination therapies in sub-Saharan Africa alone. 1.5 million lives were saved in Africa.
Her success not only is a personal achievement, but also epitomizes the glorious achievements of Chinese women on the global stage.
As President Nelson Mandela once observed, the degree of civilization in a society can be judged by the position of the female sex.
In the 30 years since the founding of the new South Africa, the cause of women in South Africa has made remarkable progress.
The latest number of the World Economic Forum show that South Africa is one of the top 20 countries in the world in terms of gender equality.
Women hold more than 40% of the seats in both the South African Cabinet and Parliament, far exceeding the global average of about 20%.
Since my arrival in June this year, I have interacted with many outstanding female diplomats in DIRCO, and I have been deeply impressed by your energy, confidence, professionalism and tenacity.
Sisters and Friends,
Women are natural diplomats with unparalleled strengths in communication, mediation and relationship management.
The women’s strength is often resilient and enduring, like a gentle stream that, drop by drop, changes the whole world.
China and South Africa share a special historical bond, and the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries cannot be achieved without the strong support of women from both countries.
All of you here today are committed to promoting win-win cooperation and actively facilitating exchanges between China and South Africa.
It is you, with women’s power and your slender yet strong arms, who hold up the “half sky” of China and South Africa relations and worked to usher in the Golden Era of our two countries’ relations today.
Sisters and Friends,
“She Power” is unlimited. Let us continue to work hand in hand for a better life for all of us, for a brighter future for China and South Africa, and for the advancement of women's cause worldwide!
Once again, happy Women’s Month to all of you!
I thank you!

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