President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women has drawn widespread acclaim from foreign participants and overseas experts, who welcomed his proposals as a pivotal step toward accelerating gender equality and women's empowerment worldwide.

They said the convening of the meeting holds milestone significance, demonstrating China's global leadership in promoting and protecting human rights and development, and advancing women's status.

"Women play an important role in creating, promoting and carrying forward human civilization. And the international community has a shared responsibility to advance the cause of women," Xi emphasized in his address, calling for tangible actions.

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He made four proposals, calling for collective efforts to foster an enabling environment for women's growth, propel high-quality development for women, strengthen governance frameworks to protect women's rights and enhance global cooperation on gender equality.

Recalling the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing 30 years ago, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina J.Mohammed underscored the pioneering role of the Beijing conference, noting that it lit "a fire of possibility" for women worldwide. She said she is very glad to see China and other states "who have kept this flame alive".

Hosting a second historic conference in Beijing is a reminder of the shared responsibility to deliver on women's rights, she added.

The senior UN official commended Xi for "leading this Global Leaders' Meeting on Women and demonstrating his genuine commitment to the women's rights agenda".

Anita Amorim, head of the International Labour Organization's Emerging and Special Partnerships Unit, said that in the context of South-South cooperation, women's empowerment offers a strategic lever for resilience and shared growth, while noting that the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women has served as both a celebration of progress and a critical point of reflection on the persistent gaps in women's rights and empowerment worldwide.

Amorim said that as challenges including conflict, debt distress and a cost-of-living crisis have deepened inequalities, the meeting came at an essential time, focusing on women's advancement in the economy and advocating opportunities for both women and men.

She said that over the years, the ILO has cooperated with China through South-South cooperation, bringing tangible benefits to countries in the Global South, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, in promoting employment, skills development and social protection, while promoting women's entrepreneurship and gender equality.

Nahla Haidar El Addal, head of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, highly praised Xi's advocacy of supporting women in shouldering more responsibilities, engaging deeply in global governance and sharing the fruits of governance.

She pointed out that the key challenge in the current global governance system lies in the lack of coordinated, unified, clear and well-defined rules and a procedural framework, which makes it difficult for countries to form synergy in their actions. Therefore, she stressed that building international consensus and improving governance rules are of critical importance.

Russel Harland, deputy branch secretary and international relations officer of the Surrey County branch of UNISON, one of the largest trade unions in the United Kingdom, said he believes that China is giving vital impetus to the fight against gender inequality by embedding the shared responsibility to advance women's development, such as urging tangible and accessible policies to channel more quality health and educational resources to all women.

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He noted that Xi's invigorating words are in line with China's Global Development Initiative, which calls for staying committed to development as a priority.

President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence said, "China's commitment of $10 million to UN Women is highly significant for African nations, many of which are already partnering with the international organization to empower women.

"We look forward to this partnership and hope that small countries, in particular, will benefit from it," she added.

Marija Petrovic, a journalist from Serbia who covered the event, voiced her strong support for Xi's emphasis on improving girls' and women's rights in education.

She said it is essential for girls to have education and their own money, as independence grants them the freedom to make their own choices.

Wang Xiaoyu and Li Hongyang contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at jihaisheng@chinadaily.com.cn