President of the All-China Women's
Federation Gu Xiulian met with Zambian first lady Maureen
Mwanawasa in Beijing on Tuesday, exchanging views on women's
development in the two countries.
Gu said the Chinese government attaches great importance to women's
development, taking such measures as enacting about 11 laws to
safeguard women's rights, assuring equal participation between men
and women in both family and political lives, and improving
education level for women, especially for those who live in
poverty-stricken rural areas.
China has implemented a project since 1989 for helping those girls,
who were unable to go to school because of poverty, go back to
school and accept education, Gu said, noting that under this
project, China has raised 350 million yuan (US$42 million) to
assist about 1.5 million girl students.
Gu expressed her hope that China and Zambia will strengthen
exchanges on such experiences of promoting women's development, so
as to make more progress in this field.
Mwanawasa said Zambia also provides similar assistance for its
women and children, hoping that China will help and support Zambia
to expand such programs to promote development of women and
children.
Mwanawasa briefed Gu on major efforts made by the Maureen Mwanawasa
Community Initiative, a non-governmental organization personally
run by the first lady to improve the living standards of the
Zambian underprivileged family.
The first lady said her organization has worked for helping women
and children receive education, enabling vulnerable women and
children access safe and clean water, and providing mobile clinics
to the most vulnerable people.
Similarly with China, Zambia also gives financial support to women
by providing loan to them, in a bid to improve their living
standards, she noted.
Mwanawasa arrived in Beijing on Monday morning on an eight-day
visit to China as guest of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, a
non-governmental organization set up in 1982 to promote welfare of
youth and children.
(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2005)