Dear sisters,

As we look toward the arrival of another International Women’s Day on March 8th 2020, a festival devoted to all women in the world, it gives me great pleasure to extend, on behalf of Beijing Women’s Federation, the cordial greetings and best wishes to all our sisters working and living in Beijing from domestic and abroad.

25 years ago, Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action were adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, laying out the most progressive roadmap for the empowerment of women and girls, everywhere. We have never stopped delivering. 5 years ago, at the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for joint efforts to promote gender

equality and women’s all-round development worldwide in a speech entitled Promoting Women's All-Round Development and Building a Better World for All. We have never stopped working.

It is a special and extraordinary moment at this historical juncture in 2020, that we not only reflect on the past but also summon up the courage to move forward and write a new chapter in the history.At this moment, under the strong leadership of CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, the Chinese people are going all out to fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, “a war without smoke”. It is at this moment, numerous women are firmly safeguarding their positions and devoting themselves to the prevention and control of the epidemic. They are celebrating this special International Women’s Day with bravery and determination.

In the face of this serious epidemic challenge, we, the women’s organization in the capital city of Beijing, must harness our organizational strength to lead and unite every woman to play a special role in the battle against the COVID-19, supporting the city of Wuhan and other parts of Hubei province as well as safeguarding our home in Beijing. We guided Beijing Women and Children’s Development Foundation in setting up a public welfare program called “Women Donation to Resist Epidemic”, sending medical supplies to the front line and supporting the families of the doctors and nurses who are combing the epidemic in Hubei. We called on tens of thousands of female volunteers to make their contributions to the community-level epidemic prevention and control, promoting positive energy around the society, offering psychological support to people in need and paying more attention to special groups such as pregnant women. We facilitated the recovery of work and production, turning crisis into new opportunities. With the assistance of Beijing Women’s Science and Technology Service Platform, we supported female entrepreneurs to improve their capabilities and women in rural area to develop E-commerce platforms. Among myriads of heroic stories created by the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in fighting against the COVID-19, our sisters have also written a unique chapter with their determination, resilience and strength.

In the fight against virus, China is not alone. The international community has given us valuable moral and material support. And many sister cities of Beijing have donated materials and voiced support for China. Foreign embassies in China and foreign friends in Beijing have also sent videos and messages to us, supporting the effort of epidemic prevention and control in various forms, expressing solidarity to every woman fighting on the front line, and sharing their reflection and inspiration about this special International Women’s Day.We are well aware that the future and destiny of every nation are closely linked, and women of all countries share same aspirations. No matter in the fight against the COVID-19 or on our way to the realization of gender equality, we must improve collaboration and consensus and make concerted efforts to overcome a variety of challenges.

As a women’s organization in the host city of the Fourth World Conference on Women, we sincerely hope to bring into full play the advantages of Beijing as a center of international exchange, work more effectively to promote close cooperation and exchange with women from all over the world, and take bolder action to implement Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Let us work hand in hand to build a better world for women and for all!

Salute to all the women on the front line in the battle against the COVID-19!

Wish every woman a joyful, happy and healthy International Women’s Day in 2020.

Zhang Yajun

President of Beijing Women’s Federation

March 8, 2020