Vice-Premier Wu Yi (left) in close discussion with Huang Ganying (right), 85, and Zhang Jiexun (83) at a ceremony to mark today's International Women's Day in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. Both Huang and Zhang are former vice-chairwomen of the All-China Women's Federation. (China Daily)

Nearly 1500 Chinese and Beijing-based foreigners gathered in the Great Hall of the People Monday to celebrate the forthcoming International Women's Day.

"Women are the great human resource to push forward social progress and development," President of the All-China Women's Federation Gu Xiulian told the reception marking the 95th anniversary of the Women's Day, which falls on every March 8.

During the past 95 years, Chinese women, together with their sisters worldwide, made tremendous contribution to world peace, national liberation and state development, said Gu, who is also vice-chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's legislature.

Women have also made unremitting struggle to strive for equality and the harmonious development between men and women, she said.

Attaching great importance to women's development and advancement, the Chinese government has made gender equality a basic state policy in promoting social development, enacted a number of laws and regulations and established nationwide mechanism for the advancement of gender equality, she said.

Noting the development of women's movement requires the joint participation and promotion of the international community, Gu said China will hold an event this fall to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women (WCW), a grand convention held in Beijing in 1995.

According to Gu, the upcoming conference will review the course of gender equality promotion in the past decade and the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome Documents of the UN General Assembly special session on Women.

Through discussion and experience sharing, all participants will enhance cooperation for the realization of women's advancement, gender equality and a more harmonious society, she said.

Editor: Olivia