UN Women official recognizes benefits of female leadership

The "2017 Women in Leadership Forum" held in Beijing on June 26th drew participation from global women leaders in business and the media among other sectors. [Photo: Chinaplus/Yin Xiuqi]

The world has seen an increasing number of woman leaders in politics, business, media and other sectors, providing what some describe as women leadership.

Julia Broussard, head of the UN Women in China agency, says female leaders are modifying leadership styles across the board, making organizations less "autocratic".

The UN official made the comment in an exclusive interview with Horizons' Yin Xiuqi during the one-day "2017 Women in Leadership Forum" held in Beijing on June 26th.

The forum, drawing participation from global women leaders in business and the media, was sponsored by the UN agency and Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business--a Beijing-based independent business school.

Julia Broussard calls for more government support for childcare and rigorous law enforcement to protect and empower Chinese women. [Photo: Chinaplus/Yin Xiuqi]

During the interview, Broussard talked about a wide variety of issues affecting women in general and Chinese women and girls in particular.

She said China has made huge gains in terms of rights and welfare for women and girls since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

But women in China still face extra difficulties, such as heavy childcare and household burdens, employment discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace, among others.

Broussard calls for more government support for childcare and rigorous law enforcement to ensure equal employment opportunities between the sexes and better measures to protect and empower women. 

[Horizons is a revamped daily features program produced by CRI that gets to the heart of Chinese society, life and economy. To know more about this program, you can download the China Plus App on your mobile phone.]