From 1995 to 2025: Women Leading Change in China and Beyond

Every time I read about the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, I imagine the energy that must have filled Beijing back then, where drenching rain and mud did not dampen the attendees’ enthusiasm, and thousands of voices from around the world coming together to say one simple, powerful truth: women’s rights are human rights.

Thirty years later, the very same city is preparing to welcome the world once again, as leaders gather for the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women.

As a woman myself, I can feel that legacy’s momentum all around me. You see it in classrooms and research labs, on factory floors and tech stages, in art studios and rural fields, women writing their own stories, often quietly, yet powerfully. Growing up in this environment, I take pride in how China has made gender equality a basic state policy and carried out national action plans that support women’s all-round development.

Over the past three decades, China has acted on the spirit of the 1995 Conference and made historic achievements in women’s development. Countless outstanding women have become role models of our times, making important contributions to Chinese modernization.

When preparing for the upcoming Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women, I reviewed on past interviews with three young Chinese women, whose stories reflect both personal strength and the progress of a nation. Through their determination and creativity, they show how far China’s women have come, and how they continue to redefine what leadership, innovation, and empowerment mean today.

Lin Li: Guzheng Strings and Global Strategy

Lin Li plays the ancient Chinese instrument Guzheng, long associated with elegance and grace. But behind her artistic aura is a razor-sharp academic mind—she holds a PhD from King’s College London in War Studies.

Lin lives what young Chinese call the “slashie” life, balancing art and academia with joy. Her journey is a powerful testament to innovation and resilience, redefining the roles female scholars can play in geopolitics—a field still dominated by men. Lin brings a fresh perspective to her research, one that combines empathy, strategic insight, and creativity.

Through her performances and studies, Lin promotes cross-cultural understanding - proving that Chinese women today can move seamlessly between tradition and the global stage.

Yao Songqiao: Building a Greener Future

Then there’s Yao Songqiao. She’s the founder and CEO of a nature-inspired education and sustainability consulting venture based in Beijing. Yao has set foot in over 60 countries and braved Antarctica’s bone-chilling winds more than a dozen times.

In conditions where even her male colleagues struggled, Yao remained strong, conducting field research and motivating others to act on climate change. Her story is one of entrepreneurship, vision, and a deep sense of responsibility for our shared planet.

Her work speaks to the growing number of Chinese women who are leading in science, sustainability, and social innovation—fields that are shaping the future of the world.

Li Tianzhen: Rewriting the Rules in Tech

Finally, meet Li Tianzhen, who made a bold pivot from the social sector to China’s fast-moving tech industry. Today, she serves as Branding and PR Officer at a company specializing in AI for sciences.

Breaking into tech wasn’t easy. It meant adapting to a fast-paced, deeply technical environment—but Li thrived. Working alongside scientists, she now helps turn cutting-edge AI innovations into real-world impact.

Her success—and that of many women like her—shows how China’s technology boom is also a story of women stepping up, leading with empathy and intelligence, and redefining innovation itself.

From Beijing 1995 to Beijing 2025: A Continuing Story

What Lin Li, Yao Songqiao, and Li Tianzhen are doing is not happening in isolation—it’s part of a larger transformation across China. Over the decades, more women have taken on leadership roles in science, business, and public service.

In government, newly recruited female civil servants in central government organs have surpassed half of the total, while the local-level figure exceeds 40%. In corporate management, women hold 37.7% of employee director roles and 41.9% of supervisor roles, both rising year by year. In science and technology, women account for nearly 45.8% of the workforce—about 40 million in total.

These figures are a powerful reflection of China’s efforts to promote gender equality through concrete policies and sustained action.

Over the past three decades, China has also contributed to the global cause of women’s development. It has supported the work of U.N. Women, partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education. It has also assisted developing countries in implementing 100 maternal and child health projects, while training over 200,000 female professionals from more than 180 countries and regions. 

As Beijing prepares once again to host the world’s leaders on the topic of women development and empowerment, I think of the stories of Lin Li, Yao Songqiao, and Li Tianzhen. Their journeys embody the strength, ambition, and creativity of Chinese women who are shaping both national progress and global change.

From 1995 to today, and into the future, their stories continue to echo one message: empowered women empower the world.

Written by Liu Yushan 

About the author: Liu Yushan is a CGTN reporter and a regular host on Round Table China podcast.

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