In a keynote speech on Tuesday, June 23, All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) Vice President Meng Xiaosi stressed the importance of women’s empowerment. She highlighted this topic during the 7th China-U.S. Women’s Leadership Exchange and Dialogue (WLEAD).
Speaking before the participants of the event held in Washington, DC, Meng acknowledged the WLEAD in promoting cultural and educational exchanges between the women of both countries.
Meng, who is also a member of the ACWF's Secretariat, noted that U.S.'s and China's women and women's organizations have been actively carrying out cooperation in terms of employment, charity, education health, and science and technology during the past four years.
"During the past four years, Chinese and American women have worked together and made progress in women's economic empowerment and will make persistent efforts to fight for a brighter future for women of both countries and women around the world," she remarked.
However, she also addressed two concerns during her speech: poverty and discrimination against women.
Meng emphasized that these two issues interact as both cause and effect because of the inadequacy of and unfair access to resources, infrastructure, development opportunities and services.
According to her, poverty is more than an aggravating factor to women's economic dependence, but also a factor that increases violence, abduction, trafficking and labor exploitation among women.
As women are a huge part of the impoverished population, their economic empowerment is seen as key step in global poverty alleviation, she stated. As well, she added that it is also a crucial method by which the economy's inclusive growth and sustainable development could be achieved.
In the recent years, the number of leading businesswomen has been increasing in China, U.S. and in other countries.
Meng also noted the importance given by the ACWF in women's economic empowerment, including projects involving entrepreneurship and employment. The federation has built 8,100 venture bases for female college students and over 5,000 woman's hand-knitting bases.
Furthermore, it has also distributed more than 222 billion yuan through interest-free small loans for women who wish to start their own businesses.