Today marks the UN's International Women's Day, and to mark the occassion, the All-China Women's Federation brought together female representatives from all walks of life to look for ways to increase awareness around the concept of "gender equality". CGTN's Ren Xueqian has more.

This year's International Women's Day comes amidst unprecedented global movements on gender equality and justice. Campaigns such as "Me Too" -- which spoke out against sexual harassment, domestic violence and gender discrimination -- have reshaped the public discourse by calling for greater solidarity from women everywhere. Inspired by this determination for change, Chinese officials said the country would continue to uphold the lawful rights and interests of women in China.

SHEN YUEYUE PRESIDENT, ALL-CHINA WOMEN'S FEDERATION (ACWF) "In China, new achievements in women's rights are being constantly made. The scale of employment for women has continued to expand, the number of poor women in rural areas has drastically decreased, and women's equal rights have been effectively protected. Today, women have a greater sense of fulfillment, happiness and security."

Over the past decade, more and more women across China have become leaders in fields such as science, technology, education and politics. This year alone, the proportion of female delegates attending the Two Sessions has seen a significant increase. According to official statistics, there are 742 female deputies in the 13th National People's Congress; and 440 female members in the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body. Both are slight increases on the 12th editions. With the government paying ever-more attention to the role of women in socio-economic structures, one official said the number of influential females in China's public service will likely increase.

MOU HONG DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL LIAISON DEPARTMENT, ACWF "Since the 18th National Congress, the status of women in China has improved significantly. The frequent amendments to the various laws and policies have better ensured equal rights for women. This, together with our efforts in providing more vocational training for women, have all contributed to the increase of female participation in government affairs as well as in other fields."

Formed in 1949, the All-China Women's Federation vows to advocate gender parity across every ethnic background. This year's reception welcomed both domestic as well as foreign female diplomats and expats from countries such as Australia, Costa Rica and Uruguay. First celebrated by the United Nations in the late 1970s, International Women's Day was quickly adopted by member states. China has been commemorating it for more than a hundred years.