…pledges continued support

By Nkiruka Nnorom

The Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Ms. Yan Yuqing, has said that the country is set to further bolster its support for Nigerian women through new initiatives aimed at promoting economic empowerment and social development.

She stated this at an event to celebrate the successful convening of the Global Leaders meeting on women with the theme: “Lagos Forum: Women’s Empowerment Dialogue”, in Lagos, saying that the collaboration aimed to support the Nigeria government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

On the global front, she noted that China would donate $10 million to the United Nations’ women and also  earmark a quota of $100 million in China’s Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund as part of her commitment towards advancing the cause of women.

According to her, the country would also launch 1,000 “small and beautiful” livelihood programmes with Chinese assistance that take women and girls as priority beneficiaries, invite 50,000 women to China for exchange and training programs; and establish a Global Center for women’s capacity building.

She noted that China has launched various initiatives, such as the Global Summit on Women, and partnerships to promote women’s development and empowerment and has consistently integrated its national development process with the advancement of gender equality.

She said: “This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and a pivotal year for implementing the outcomes of the Beijing Summit. Under the FOCAC framework, China and Nigeria have jointly promoted development cooperation and strengthened people-to-people exchanges, helping countless women realize their dreams.

“We will continue to deepen the alignment between the ten major partnership initiatives and President  BolaTinubu’s Reigniting Hope governance philosophy, transforming initiatives into action and commitments into measurable progress.

“We will continuously expand South-South cooperation in women’s affairs, accelerating the new process of women’s comprehensive development through solidarity, confidence, courage, and concrete actions.”

Olufunke Oduwole, 68th President of the International Women’s Society in Nigeria (IWS) speaking, emphasised the need for women empowerment, saying that women cannot contribute meaningfully to the society without empowerment, while also calling for collaboration among women in achieving their objectives.

She said that the IWS has launched several initiatives such as the IWS Green Club to empower women with green skills, while saying that the association’s collaboration with Chinese women has yielded positive results.

“This event, well put together, most importantly, is driving home the message that all women, wherever we might be, we should all work together, collaborate and speak with one voice.

Women need a lot of help. It doesn’t mean that we’re weak. No, definitely not.

“But the women have to be celebrated. And the focus is: all women need empowerment. Without empowerment, honestly, I don’t think we will contribute positively to society, ” she said.

“Collaborating with Chinese women has been of great benefit. And as an association, we’re looking at climate change, how it impacts women. IWS has decided to set up an IWS Green Club.

“This is a club that will empower women with green skills and it will benefit women regardless of your station in life,” she added.

In her remarks, Zhou Jun, ‎President, Association of Chinese Women in Nigeria, emphasized the importance of women’s empowerment, equality, and recognizing their contributions to society.

She said that women should be seen as equal to men, and encouraged women to speak out and let the world know about their capabilities and achievements.

“The Lagos Forum represents a vital bridge between the global commitment made in Beijing and our local reality here in Nigeria. We believe that when women are empowered, entire communities thrive.

‎”As Chinese women living and working in Nigeria, we have a unique responsibility to foster cross-cultural understanding and collaboration on women’s issues. The partnership with the Chinese Consulate and International Women’s Society demonstrates our shared vision of creating opportunities for Nigerian and Chinese women to learn from each other’s experiences.

‎ “The capacity building programmes announced by China will open new doors for Nigerian women to acquire skills, build networks, and contribute to sustainable development. We are committed to ensuring that women in Nigeria can access these opportunities and become agents of change in their communities,” she said.