Peng Liyuan attends UNESCO special session on girls', women's education

Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Tuesday attended a special session on girls' and women's education here at the headquarters of the United Nations educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

At the session, some laureates of the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's education gave brief remarks on their understanding and promotion of the undertaking.

Peng, a UNESCO special envoy for the advancement of girls' and women's education, appreciated the efforts made by UNESCO and the prize winners, and shared China's successful practices in this regard.

In a review of her work in this field for the past five years, Peng especially referred to the Spring Bud Project, a program launched by China Children and Teenagers' Fund to help dropout girls return to school and to improve teaching conditions in impoverished areas.

She stressed that promoting the education of girls and women is a lofty cause that deserves attention, support and devotion from more people.

Knowledge and skills are two great forces that can change the lives of women, and with equal and quality education, they all have the opportunity to be outstanding, added Peng.

She said China will continue to support UNESCO in organizing the award, and help empower more children and women to embrace a brighter future with opportunities and platforms for international educational cooperation created by the joint development of the Belt and Road.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said that nearly 130 million girls are out of school globally and that women take up two-thirds of the 750 million illiterate people in the world.

Advancing girls' and women's education is an important part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and a focus of UNESCO, added Azoulay.

The UN body, she said, thinks highly of the remarkable achievements accomplished by China in this cause and appreciates the outstanding contribution of Peng.

In a meeting with Azoulay before the special session, Peng said China firmly supports UNESCO's and the director-general's work, and hopes the two sides will continue to deepen cooperation to jointly promote world peace and prosperity as well as the progress of human civilization.

Azoulay said that China has made great achievements in the past 70 years, including progress in the development of education and women's affairs.

UNESCO highly values the cooperation with China and the support from China is of great importance under current circumstances, she said.