Chinese embassy in Kenya hosts Int'l Women's Day event

The Chinese embassy in Kenya marked International Women's Day on Thursday, bringing together women representatives from the political, business and academic sectors. The event featured performances celebrating both Kenyan and Chinese cultures. Guests also participated in traditional Chinese cultural activities, including hanfu dressing, paper-cutting, calligraphy and tea ceremony.

Guo Haiyan, Chinese ambassador to Kenya, highlighted the shared journey of women in both countries toward equality and development in her speech. She recalled Kenya's and China's contributions to the global gender equality agenda, particularly through the Third and Fourth UN World Conferences on Women, held in Nairobi (1985) and Beijing (1995), respectively.

"I firmly believe that through our joint efforts and strong collaboration, equality, freedom, and empowerment can be achieved, which will significantly improve the development of our two nations," Guo said.

Cecilia Ngitit, a Kenyan member of parliament, emphasized the resilience of women in marginalized areas. She stressed that gender equality is a fundamental right and urged concrete action to support women's empowerment.

Hassan Omar Hassan, secretary general of United Democratic Alliance (UDA), acknowledged China's role in Africa's development and called for further cooperation to create more opportunities for women.

Zhang Mingxiao contributed to this story.