30 years on, China continues driving progress in women's empowerment

In 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing made gender equality a national policy in China. For Bai Xiang'en – born in 1984 and later China's first female navigator to cross the Arctic Ocean – that moment would chart the course of her life.

At that time, no maritime school in China accepted women. "Without the gender equality momentum from the Beijing conference, I might never have entered a maritime classroom," Bai recalled.

That tide began to turn in 2000, when Shanghai Maritime University started admitting female students. Bai joined two years later, determined to prove that women could stand their ground in a field long dominated by men. But the sea ahead was rough. After graduating in 2006, she was rejected by multiple shipping companies that refused to hire female sailors. Refusing to drift away from her dream, she pursued a postgraduate degree and later made history as the first female officer aboard her university's training ship, Yufeng.

Bai's persistence eventually took her farther than she ever imagined. In 2012, she joined China's fifth Arctic expedition as second mate of the research icebreaker Xue Long, or Snow Dragon. She planned navigation routes, monitored ice conditions and helped steer through perilous ridges – even when the vessel became trapped in thick ice. That journey made her the first Chinese woman to cross the Arctic Ocean as a navigator.

Bai's story is not only one of personal triumph but also a reflection of how far women's rights in China have come since 1995 – a journey that continues to inspire new generations.

According to the white paper "China's achievements in women's well-rounded development in the new era," China has introduced four national outlines for women's development since 1995, each setting key goals, strategies, and measures for women's development in its corresponding phase.

A major milestone came when women's development objectives were formally incorporated into the country's Five-Year Plans. The 12th Five-Year Plan (2011–2015) included a dedicated section on women's development, emphasizing labor protection and efforts to combat gender-based violence. The 13th Five-Year Plan (2016–2020) went further, devoting an entire chapter to safeguarding women's rights and ensuring equal access to education, employment, and social participation.

China has also made significant investments in women's career development. Between 2023 and 2024, the "Rain and Dew Program" funded vocational training for 632,000 women. By the end of 2024, more than 640 billion yuan (roughly $90 billion) in loans had been issued to help 8.49 million women start or expand their businesses.

These efforts have produced tangible results. Women now account for 50.76 percent of university students – up 14.15 percentage points since 1995. The average life expectancy of women in China reached 80.9 years in 2020, reflecting improved healthcare and living standards. Meanwhile, cases of trafficking in women and children have fallen by 95 percent since 2013.

While China's progress in advancing women's rights and interests is widely recognized, experts like Wang Jing, associate professor at the Marxism School of Central University of Finance and Economics, say there is still room for improvement – particularly in ensuring equal employment opportunities for women and the balance between work and family life.

Du Jie, director of the Women's Studies Institute at the All-China Women's Federation, called for continued efforts to combat gender discrimination in the workplace, prevent violence against women and strengthen support for vulnerable groups, including low-income, elderly and disabled women.

Bai remains optimistic about the future of women's rights. For her, real progress requires not only supportive policies, but also women's courage and perseverance.

"Every woman has the right to chase her dreams – whether it's navigating a ship across the ocean or solving complex problems in a lab. As long as you persist, you can reach your 'stars and the sea,'" Bai said with determination.

As Beijing prepares to host the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment – marking 30 years since the landmark 1995 conference – Bai hopes the event will serve as a bridge for women globally to share their stories of breaking barriers and steering their own course toward empowerment.