Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Special Envoy of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for girls’ and women’s education, attended a special meeting on girls and women’s education at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Monday morning.

At the meeting, successive winners of the UNESCO prize for education for girls and women made speeches and introduced their practices and experiences. In her speech, Peng praised the efforts made by UNESCO and the winners in promoting the education of girls and women, introduced China’s successful experience and reviewed the work carried out by her special envoy in the past five years, especially in promoting activities such as the Spring Bud Project.

Peng stressed that promoting girls and women’s education is a noble cause that deserves more people’s attention, support and efforts. Knowledge and skills are powerful forces that can change a woman’s life. Every woman has the opportunity to excel in life as long as she has an equal and quality education. China will continue to support UNESCO in hosting the award and make good use of the opportunity and platform provided by the joint development of the “The Belt and Road” for international educational exchanges and cooperation, so as to help more children and sisters have a better future in their lives.

Audrey Azoulay, the head of the UNESCO, said that there are 130 million out-of-school girls in the world, and women make up two-thirds of the world’s 750 million illiterates. Promoting girls’ and women’s education are important parts of the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development and priorities of UNESCO. The organization spoke highly of China’s remarkable achievements in this regard and thanked professor Peng for her outstanding contribution.

Before the meeting, Peng met with Azoulay. Peng said that China firmly supports the work of the UNESCO and the director-general Azoulay, and hopes the two sides will continue to strengthen cooperation and work together to promote world peace, prosperity and progress of human civilization. Azoulay said the People’s Republic of China has made great achievements since its founding 70 years ago, including progress in education and women’s cause. UNESCO attaches great importance to cooperate with China. In the current era and situation, China’s support is even more important.

In 1989, under the leadership of the All-China Women’s Federation, China Children and Teenagers’ Fund (CCTF) initiated and organized the “Spring Bud Project”. With the great attention of the Party, country and the love and support of all sectors of society, “Spring Bud Project” has become one of the most well-known charity brand projects in China. It has played a unique role in promoting girls’ education and gender equality and is of great significance in the history of girls’ education and development in China.

In 2014, professor Peng Liyuan was invited to be the special envoy of the Spring Bud Project for promoting girls’ education. She attached the opening ceremony of “Listening to the Voice of Blossom - Spring Bud Girls’ Summer Camp” in 2016, and encouraged girls to face difficulties and work hard to achieve success.

Today, the Spring Bud Project has supported 3.69 million girls, built 1,811 Spring Bud schools, provided vocational education and training to 527,000 girls, and compiled and distributed 2.17 million Bud Care Manuals that teach girls self-care skills. A large number of Spring Bud girls have become adults, and have done a good job in their workplace.

2019 marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 30th anniversary of the implementation of the “Spring Bud Project”, CCTF will hold “Blooming in the Sunshine of the Party - 30-Year Series Activities of Spring Bud Project”.