尊敬的安思齐女士，

　　尊敬的郁白先生，

　　女士们，先生们，

　　亲爱的朋友们，

　　大家下午好!

　　很高兴出席2020年性别平等与企业社会责任国际会议。今年是联合国成立75周年和北京世界妇女大会召开25周年，联合国妇女署中国办公室和欧盟驻华使团共同举办本次会议，对于加速行动实现北京+25承诺意义十分重大，我对此非常赞赏。

　　在全球10亿残疾人中，一半左右是残疾妇女。她们跟其他妇女一样，是母亲、姐妹、妻子、女儿，都需要学习、工作、参与社会生活。但在性别和残疾的双重歧视下，她们很多人没有机会实现这些权利，她们受到歧视甚至虐待。我去过中国的很多地方调研，了解残疾妇女和家庭所承受的痛苦，帮助她们过上更好的生活。

　　我5岁时因为患脊髓疾病而残疾。当我还是一个残疾女孩时，我不会想到有一天，我能成为中国残联和康复国际的主席，代表残疾妇女与大家探讨性别平等的话题。

　　这些年，中国不断制定和完善各种法律法规，保障残疾人更好地参与社会，实现平等共享。我们特别关心残疾妇女的生存与发展，帮助她们获得康复、教育、就业的机会，鼓励她们参加文化体育活动。不久前，中国残联举行了残疾妇女座谈会，来自各地的19位残疾妇女和一位残疾孩子的母亲讲述了自己的生活和奋斗的故事。她们中有博士后，也有艺术家，研究员，医务工作者，残疾人工作者，还有农村妇女。随着社会的进步，她们的生活得到改善，实现了梦想。特别是很多残疾妇女摆脱了贫困，过上了美好的生活。作为女性，我特别关切残疾妇女的婚姻生育，希望她们拥有幸福的家庭。我呼吁重视她们的生育权利，只要符合医学要求，就要鼓励和帮助残疾妇女做母亲。每当我得知残疾姐妹成为母亲，我都为她们高兴，甚至流下眼泪。

　　作为康复国际主席，我高度关注和关心残疾妇女，在康复国际全球残疾人事务发展基金和非洲基金支持下，在巴西、印度等国开展多个残疾妇女能力建设的项目，我还去埃塞俄比亚看望残疾妇女和儿童。最近，我提出推动在康复国际建立残疾妇女儿童委员会，更好地使残疾妇女获得赋权和发展。

　　为纪念北京世界妇女大会召开25周年，9月17日，中国残联和康复国际携手联合国妇女署及亚太经社会发布关于促进残疾妇女融合发展的行动呼吁，并提交联大主席和联合国秘书长。联合国秘书长办公室在回信中表示，该倡议“精准聚焦了残疾妇女和女童面临的诸多关键性问题”。同时，为配合这一倡议，我设计的中国第一张关于残疾妇女的主题邮票“爱与关怀”由中国邮政发行。

　　女士们，先生们，亲爱的朋友们，

　　残疾妇女是人类社会大家庭中最困难和最需要帮助的成员，也是促进和平与发展的重要力量。实现可持续发展，要惠及残疾妇女，也要依靠残疾妇女。在此，我愿提出三点建议：

　　第一，提升公众意识，让全社会充分认识残疾妇女的能力和贡献，消除对她们一切形式的歧视，保障她们平等参与发展的权利和机会，尊重她们的价值、尊严和对美丽人生的追求。

　　第二，建立对残疾妇女的社会保障和家庭支持政策，保障她们的生命健康，为她们提供公平的就业机会，促进她们参与教育、文化和公共活动，维护她们的婚姻和生育权利，让她们和家庭过上体面的生活。中国正在建设高起点、高水平、国际化的康复大学，我们愿意在残疾妇女健康和康复服务等方面加强研究。

　　第三，各国政府、联合国相关机构和国际组织、企业和民间团体要就残疾妇女事务加强协调与合作，了解她们的意愿和需求，为她们创造更多的机会，实现平等的权利。

　　女士们先生们，亲爱的朋友们，

　　我愿与你们携手，共同为残疾妇女融合发展作出努力。

　　谢谢大家!

　　来源：中国残联

Keynote Speech at the 2020 International Conference on Gender Equality and Corporate Social Responsibility

　　November 18, 2020, Beijing

　　Distinguished Ms. Aryal,

　　Distinguished Ambassador Chapuis,

　　Ladies and gentlemen,

　　Friends,

　　Good afternoon.

　　It’s my pleasure to attend the International Conference on Gender Equality and Corporate Social Responsibility. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the UN and the 25th anniversary of the World Conference on Women in Beijing. The conference is of notable significance to accelerate actions to keep the promise of the Beijing + 25 commitment. I appreciate the effort UN Women China Office and European Union Delegation to China have made to host it.

　　Of the world’s 1 billion persons with disabilities, about half are women. They are mothers, wives and daughters, just like other women. They also need to go to school, have jobs, and take part in social activities. Unfortunately, many of them couldn’t do so because of gender and disability discrimination. They even face higher risk of abuse. I’ve visited many places in China and seen with my own eyes the difficulties my fellow sisters and their families face. I’ve been working to improve their living conditions.

　　I became paralyzed because of spinal cord angioma at the age of five. At that time, it was beyond my dream that one day I would become Chairperson of China Disabled Persons’ Federation and President of Rehabilitation International, and talk about gender equality on behalf of women with disabilities.

　　In the past years, China has enacted and revised laws and regulations to ensure that persons with disabilities could participate in social activities equally. Caring about the life and development of women and girls with disabilities, we have worked to ensure their access to rehabilitation, education and employment, and supported them to take part in cultural and sports activities.

　　Not long ago CDPF held a dialogue with women with disabilities. 19 women with disabilities and the mother of a disabled child shared their stories and experiences. Among them are postdoctoral fellow, artist, researcher, medical worker, and colleague in the disability field. Some are from the countryside. Their lives have improved along with social progress, and their dreams have come true. Many of our fellow sisters have overcome poverty and now live a better life.

　　As a woman myself, I’m particularly concerned if my fellow sisters could get married and have children. I wish they all have happy families. I’ve called for more efforts to respect their reproductive rights, and help them realize their dreams of becoming a mom as long as their physical condition allows. They should be supported to have children of their own. I feel very happy and even shed tears when I learn some of them have become mothers.

　　As RI President, I have been paying high attention to women with disabilities. Through RI’s Global Disability Development Fund and Africa Fund, we carried out capability building programs for women with disabilities in Brazil and India. I also visited women and children with disabilities in Ethiopia. Recently I proposed setting up a RI committee focusing on women and children with disabilities, to empower them and facilitate their development.

　　In commemoration of the Fourth World Conference on Women, on September 17, CDPF and UN Women, together with ESCAP and RI, jointly released the “Call to Action: Enabling Sisters with Disabilities to Join in Shaping the Future”, to promote the inclusive development of women and girls with disabilities. The “Call to Action” has been submitted to the UNGA president and UN Secretary-General. In the response from the SG’s Office, it was commended as shining “a spotlight on many key issues faced by women and girls with disabilities”. Following up the “Call to Action”, I designed a stamp named “Love and Care”, which is published by China Post and is the first stamp in China themed on our disabled fellow sisters.

　　Ladies and gentlemen,

　　Friends,

　　Among all members of the human family, women and girls with disabilities need assistance most. They play an important role in promoting peace and development. They must be recognized as both contributors to and beneficiaries of sustainable development.

　　To this end, I have three proposals:

　　First, to raise public awareness of the capability and contribution of women and girls with disabilities, eliminate discrimination of any form, protect their equal right to and opportunity of development, and respect their value, dignity and pursuit of good life.

　　Second, to adopt more social security and family support policies for them, ensure their access to healthcare, provide them equal job opportunities, support their participation in education, cultural and public activities, and safeguard their rights to marriage and reproductive health, so that they could lead a decent life. China is building a University of Rehabilitation Sciences by international standards. The university will do more researches on health and rehabilitation services to women and girls with disabilities.

　　Third, to realize better coordination and cooperation among governments, UN agencies, international organizations, enterprises and NGOs, so that they would be more clear about the aspirations and needs of women and girls with disabilities, create more opportunities for them, and ensure their equal rights.

　　Ladies and gentlemen,

　　Friends,

　　Let’s work together for the inclusive development of women and girls, with or without disabilities.

　　Thank you.