- Title: Delegates call for better representation and protection of women at W20 opening
- Date: 25th May 2016
- Summary: ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** CHINESE VICE PRESIDENT, LI YUANCHAO, WALKING UP TO STAGE AND BOWING LI SPEAKING AT OPENING CEREMONY (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE VICE PRESIDENT, LI YUANCHAO, SAYING: "All countries must actively construct an inclusive, equality-based gender culture, and break discriminatory, backwards views and outdated customs towards women. We must push for women to receive equal education, healthcare, and pensions as well as public services provided by social security. We must perfect the system of laws and supporting policies which protect women's rights. We must guarantee the equal possession of knowledge and resources for women." ATTENDEE'S HAND TAKING PHOTO WITH SMART PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICAN MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, BATHABILE DLAMINI, SAYING: "Government(s) working in partnership with women's organisations must take the lead to transform national and global economies to ensure that women who are fifty percent of the global population are included in the economy. And this must not be taken as a present or a gift." SOUTH AFRICAN MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, BATHABILE DLAMINI, SPEAKING ATTENDEES LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF UNITED NATIONS WOMEN, LAKSHMI PURI, SAYING: "So the G20 has a powerful role to play in exhibiting leadership in the outreach and inclusion of women in the formulation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation of economic and financial policies at all levels, cascading from the global, to the regional, to the national and local." DIRECTOR OF UNITED NATIONS WOMEN, LAKSHMI PURI, SPEAKING
- Embargoed: 9th June 2016 09:40
- Keywords: China G20 W20 women Xi'an gender development
- Location: XI'AN CITY, SHAANXI PROVINCE, CHINA
- City: XI'AN CITY, SHAANXI PROVINCE, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: G20,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0024JB1XS7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Women-20 (W20) 2016 Summit kicked off in northwest China's city of Xi'an on Wednesday (May 25).
With over 150 delegates and leaders from G20 member countries in attendance, Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao called for the better protection of women's rights during the opening speech.
"All countries must actively construct an inclusive, equality-based gender culture, and break discriminatory, backwards views and outdated customs towards women," he said.
Last September during his state visit to the U.S., Chinese President Xi Jinping told the United Nations that Chinese women have the opportunity to excel, touting his government's record on women's rights.
Despite such claims, last year China was criticized internationally for detaining five women who were taken into custody on the weekend of March 8, International Women's Day, after they planned to demonstrate against sexual harassment on public transport.
The main themes of this year's W20 were equal participation and innovative development.
W20 delegates such as Bathabile Dlamini, South Africa's Minister of Social Development, called for governments to play a stronger role in ensuring women's economic participation. "And this must not be taken as a present or a gift," she added.
Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director on UN Women, echoed Dlamini's words, calling for G20 countries to take the initiative and ensure such policies are maintained. "The G20 has a powerful role to play in exhibiting leadership in the outreach and inclusion of women," she said.
The W20 ends on Thursday (May 26). China will host the G20 summit in Hangzhou in September of this year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None