NGOs' meeting calls for advancing women's rights

Chinese and international nongovernmental organizations met in Geneva on Thursday to discuss how to advance women's rights for an equitable and sustainable future.

Christoph Stuckelberger, president of the Geneva Agape Foundation, said there has been enormous progress in women's rights around the world in the last three decades since the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, citing women's leadership position in the United Nations, in the private sector, universities and research.

"However, much has still to be done for gender equality and women's rights. Patriarchal structures and values are deeply rooted. With conservative trends globally, male-dominated structures are even strengthened again," he said at the side event of the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council held in Geneva.