“Her Vision, Our Future”: EU Delegation to China Highlights Women’s Leadership in Climate Action and Politics
Source: EEAS
On 16 March, the Delegation of the European Union to China hosted the event “Her Vision, Our Future: Women Pioneering Change” in Beijing, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, academics, civil society representatives and members of the international community to reflect on women’s leadership in climate action and political decision-making.
Held in the context of International Women’s Day, the event gathered around one hundred participants and featured two thematic sessions exploring how women’s leadership is shaping responses to some of today’s most pressing global challenges — from the green transition to democratic governance.
Opening the event, Ambassador Jorge Toledo, Head of the European Union Delegation to China, emphasised that gender equality remains both a democratic imperative and a practical necessity for effective policymaking. “Gender equality is not a secondary issue,” he said. “It is a question of how societies organise power, participation and opportunity. When women are present where decisions are made, policies become more responsive, institutions gain legitimacy, and societies become stronger.” Ambassador Toledo also welcomed the strong Chinese presence among the participants, noting that it reflected growing interest in these questions within China itself. “Your presence here today tells us that this topic resonates,” he said. “It tells us that the conversation about women’s leadership — about participation, voice and opportunity — matters.”
The Head of the Beijing UN Women Office, Chuqiao Wang, also offered a plenary framing intervention.
On 16 March, the Delegation of the European Union to China hosted the event “Her Vision, Our Future: Women Pioneering Change” in Beijing, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, academics, civil society representatives and members of the international community to reflect on women’s leadership in climate action and political decision-making.
Held in the context of International Women’s Day, the event gathered around one hundred participants and featured two thematic sessions exploring how women’s leadership is shaping responses to some of today’s most pressing global challenges — from the green transition to democratic governance.
Opening the event, Ambassador Jorge Toledo, Head of the European Union Delegation to China, emphasised that gender equality remains both a democratic imperative and a practical necessity for effective policymaking. “Gender equality is not a secondary issue,” he said. “It is a question of how societies organise power, participation and opportunity. When women are present where decisions are made, policies become more responsive, institutions gain legitimacy, and societies become stronger.” Ambassador Toledo also welcomed the strong Chinese presence among the participants, noting that it reflected growing interest in these questions within China itself. “Your presence here today tells us that this topic resonates,” he said. “It tells us that the conversation about women’s leadership — about participation, voice and opportunity — matters.”
The Head of the Beijing UN Women Office, Chuqiao Wang, also offered a plenary framing intervention.