Global Center for Women's Capacity Building (GCWCB), formally established in October 2025, represents an important initiative and tangible outcome in implementing the spirit of the keynote address by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women (GLMW), which was held in Beijing in October 2025.
Through cooperation with governments of relevant countries, and working with international organizations, GCWCB aims at conducting capacity building and other development practices for women. During the past year, training sessions have been provided to cultivate talented women, from around the world; and by doing so, the center has contributed to the advancement of global gender equality and sustainable development.
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| Participants of Seminar on Women Politicians for Developing Countries explore the successful practices of the "two mountains" concept, in Anji, east China's Zhejiang Province. |
Inauguration and Operations
In his keynote address at the opening ceremony of GLMW, on October 13, 2025, President Xi announced China's important measures to further support the global cause of women, continuously injecting impetus into the new and accelerated process for women's allround development.
Adhering to Xi's instruction, GCWCB was unveiled at China Women's University (CWU), in Beijing, on October 14, 2025. During the past year, the center has made progress, in phases, in enhancing its institutional functions.
The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) and China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) have collaborated to establish the Steering Committee of GCWCB, putting in place an inter-agency coordination and collaboration framework. Further, the GCWCB Secretariat has been set up, under the Steering Committee. Hosted by CWU, the GCWCB Secretariat is responsible for the center's day-to-day operations.
The center's emblem incorporates various elements, including a globe, olive branches and the center's acronym, GCWCB. It symbolizes the pooling of women's strength, globally, to advance women's development and promote world peace.
Training Enhances Women's Capacity Building
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| Participants of a seminar pose for a photo with a teacher (middle) at China Women's University. |
By the end of September 2026, a combined 36 seminars had been organized, during which training sessions and study tours benefited 973 participants, from 68 countries and international organizations.
Under the theme of "Retracing Chinese President Xi Jinping's Steps Across China," participants made field visits to several provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. They walked into model sites related to women's entrepreneurship and employment, family education and family values, women's rights protection, and rural revitalization. Women's federations at those destinations provided on-site teaching, and they vividly told the stories about Chinese women's development in the new era.
While focusing on accelerating the new process of women's all-round development, GCWCB is building an open and inclusive platform for women's mutual learning and sharing of good practices. In addition, the center is steadily advancing the development of its international exchanges and cooperation in womenrelated issues, strengthening theoretical research and practical exploration, and promoting the delivery of cooperative projects.
Strengthened Mutual Understanding
Participants have deepened mutual understanding and friendship, through exchanges and learning. Together, they have explored new paths for women's capacity building and the development they have reached through cooperation. The participants have shared their learning outcomes and experiences, and they have conducted dialogues on women's development, gender equality, innovation and entrepreneurship and grassroots governance. The strengthened mutual understanding among women has drawn a vivid picture of global women working together to achieve common progress and growth.
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| Participants of the Seminar on China-ASEAN Women's Entrepreneurship Empowerment demonstrate livestreaming and e-commerce skills. |
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| Participants of the Seminar on Capacity Building for Women from Belt and Road Countries attend a traditional Chinese culture exchange event in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. |
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| Participants of the Seminar on Women's Capacity Building for English-speaking African Countries visit Jilin International Studies University, while learning about the development of women's higher education. |
Several women, who attended the seminars conducted in September, recently shared their thoughts on what they had gained during the training sessions.
Marada Suong, from Cambodia, was a participant during the Seminar on Exchange for Women Cadres from ASEAN Countries. "Through the sessions on the governance of China, its concepts and its practice, we came to appreciate how policy in China moves from principle to implementation, from the Party (Communist Party of China)'s guidance down to the community. We were also introduced to China's international development cooperation: Its economic rise, its trade relationships, and the construction of the Belt and Road … one that ASEAN countries are proud to help build," Suong said.
Ethiopian economist Rahel Jigi Kitessa recalled what she learned during the Seminar on Capacity Building and Sustainable Development for Women from Developing Countries. "Countries have different histories, cultures, institutions and circumstances. What we can do is learn from one another, adapt ideas to our own realities, and continue improving," she said. "We saw modern cities, technology, digital services and impressive infrastructure (and) we also saw family, nature, flowers, traditional medicine, traditional food, handicrafts and cultural heritage. I hope China will continue sharing its experiences, knowledge and opportunities with developing countries. I hope countries like Ethiopia, and other African countries, can learn from China's experiences while developing our own paths."
Fira Krisnawati, from Indonesia, attended the Training Course on Innovative Transformation of Intangible Cultural Heritage Costumes for Women Design Talents from Belt and Road Countries. She learned how intangible cultural heritage can be combined with modern creative industries. "Women are the primary custodians and transmitters of living culture across generations. Preserving heritage is not merely about safeguarding the past; it is about empowering the communities that sustain it," she said. "When we support women's leadership in cultural preservation, we invest in stronger, more resilient societies, because, ultimately, empowering women means empowering society as a whole."
Marie Sally-Ann McGillivary George, from Grenada, learned the famous saying, "women hold up half the sky" while participating in the Seminar on Women and Economic and Social Development for Caribbean Countries. "In this seminar, we got the opportunity to learn about and meet great women," she recalled. "Let us gain as much knowledge as possible, carry it back home and introduce it to our women, and, most importantly, to our girls. Let us show our girls that nothing is impossible. The world is their canvas, and they are holding the brushes."
During the Seminar on Capacity Building for Women from Southern Africa, Molelekeng Veronica Matafeni, from South Africa, witnessed the empowerment of Chinese women. On behalf of other participants from Southern Africa, she said, during the seminar's graduation ceremony, they were committed to "empowering women leaders through mentorship and training, preserving cultural heritage while embracing innovation, strengthening economic stability through inclusive, community-driven development, and fostering international solidarity between China and Southern Africa."
Photos from Zhang Jiamin and China Women's University
(Women of China English Monthly October 2026)
Editor: Lei Yang
