On 5 September 2025, the Sino-German Forum for Sustainable Development brought together nearly 200 practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and entrepreneurs from China, Germany, and the Global South in Beijing. Under the theme Equal Opportunities for Equal Growth, the Forum asked a fundamental question: What happens when women’s economic empowerment is placed at the heart of international cooperation?
The Forum opened with a strong signal of political commitment. Niels Annen, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Hu Zhangliang, Vice Chairman of China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), Zhang Dongmei, Vice President of the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF), and Dr. Stephan Grabherr, Chargé d’affaires of the German Embassy in China, all underscored the same point: empowering women is not only a Sustainable Development Goal, but also a multiplier for sustainable and inclusive growth.
The message was then grounded in evidence. Adamnesh A. Bogale, Head of Gender at African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), reminded the audience that women still shoulder Africa’s “invisible GDP” — informal work and unpaid care worth up to 40% of total output. Unlocking this potential, she explained, could raise growth by 10% or more. Her call was clear: gender equality is not a zero-sum game; it benefits everyone, but only if backed by deliberate policies.
Next, one of the Forum’s highlights was a Women Entrepreneurs Roundtable, which zoomed in on success factors and remaining barriers from a practitioner’s perspective. Four women leaders shared their personal journeys:
- Ruqayya Tofa-Basheer (Founder and CEO of Raw Beauty Africa) spoke of building a brand that challenges stereotypes and creates opportunities for young women in Northern Nigeria.
- Chau Lon Molika (Founder and CEO of Cambodian Standard Development & Supply Co., Ltd, Cambodia) showed how empowering women farmers is nation-building, lifting entire families and future generations.
- Song Tingting (Vice President of Beijing Kuaishou Technology, China) illustrated how digital platforms can “flip the script” for rural women entrepreneurs who often lack networks and resources.
- Geertje Richter (CFO of Flender Ltd, Germany) reflected on breaking barriers in male-dominated industries, where norms and perceptions often lag behind formal equality.
Their stories underscored a simple truth: female role models matter. They not only build businesses but also clear paths for others to follow.
Next, a policy-focused Panel gathered voices from international finance, development cooperation, academia, and research, each offering a perspective on how to advance women’s economic empowerment through international cooperation:
- Wendy Teleki (Head of Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative We-Fi Secretariat) highlighted the USD 1.7 trillion financing gap for women entrepreneurs and called for banks, governments, and the private sector to act together.
- Tang Ying (Director General of CIDCA) stressed the need for investment in digital skills so women are not left behind in the digital economy.
- Li Ying (Vice-President of China Women’s University) underlined that education and leadership training build the agency for women to shape, not just join, development.
- Manuel Holtmann (German Director of Sino-German Center for Sustainable Development, GIZ East Asia) pointed to triangular cooperation initiatives such as the WEE programme and reminded that true empowerment rests on the three Rs: equal rights, representation, and resources.
- Olumide Abimbola (Founder and Director of Africa Policy Research Institute) added that progress also depends on engaging men and boys as allies and ensuring enabling policies that place women at eye level when starting their entrepreneurial journeys.
As a concluding remark, Claudia Imwolde-Kreamer, Deputy Head, Division East & Central Asia from BMZ highlighted the spirit of this forum, while gender equality could take 134 years to reach full equality, it must be promoted not only nationally but also structurally and globally, through multilateral fora and strong alliances.
The discussions were facilitated by Zhao Wenting (Communication Specialist of UN Women China) and Violante di Canossa (Development Economist and Head of Strategic Partnerships and Policy Team, UNDP China), ensuring diverse voices were heard and linking the dialogue to existing multilateral platforms on gender and sustainable development, including the global momentum around Beijing+30, which marks 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action set out a comprehensive agenda for women’s empowerment.
In closing, Liu Liqun (President of China Women’s University) and Martin Hansen (Regional Director of GIZ East Asia) called for stronger alliances, innovative financing, and bold partnerships to carry the Forum’s spirit forward.
Hosted by BMZ and CIDCA, and organised by GIZ through the Sino-German Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD) in partnership with China Women’s University (CWU), the Forum illustrated how dialogue and cooperation can spark change. Since 2017, the CSD has served as a platform bridging German, Chinese, and partner-country expertise, to deliver innovative solutions for sustainable development and to address global challenges.
