Chinese state councilor calls for high-quality development of SCO women's causes

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin on Friday urged greater efforts to promote the high-quality development of women's causes in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), calling on member states to join hands and build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Shen, also president of the All-China Women's Federation, made the remarks when delivering a video message at the opening ceremony of the SCO Women's Forum, which was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on June 26.

Shen emphasized that women's affairs are a key area of cooperation within the SCO. She noted that China hosted the first SCO Women's Forum in 2018, creating an important platform for women from all member countries to connect and injecting female strength into the common prosperity of the region.

Guided by the spirit of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, all sides should increase investment in various fields including women's education, health, poverty reduction and employment, support women's extensive participation in national and social governance, and carry out "small but beautiful" livelihood projects and cooperation on women's capacity building, said Shen.

This forum was hosted by Kyrgyzstan, the current rotating chair of the SCO, with the theme of "Women's Leadership."