Women urged to take more active role in society

The first Women's Forum Asia kicked off in Shanghai on Thursday, CRI reports. The theme of the three-day event is "Growth and sustainability: how women are making a difference."

More than 600 representatives gathered at the Pudong Shangri-la hotel for the first ever Women's Forum to take place in Asia since its launch in France in 2005. The aim of the forum is to serve as a platform for communication and provide support for present and future women leaders.

"It is very important to introduce the forum into Asia, especially China. Asian women are playing a more important role in social and economic life. The forum aims to encourage women to further devote themselves to the society and economic development with innovation," CRI quotes Aude Zieseniss de Thuin, event initiator and chairwoman, as saying.

The topics at this year's forum include economic growth and the development of environmentally friendly technology, challenges brought by an aging population, women's involvement in economic life and education as a tool to promote gender equality, CRI writes.

According to Euleen Goh, former chief executive officer of the Singapore Standard Chartered Bank, Asian women today have in many ways much better chances of advancing in their careers than women in the West as they have the backing of a supportive family structure, as well as equal status in education and in the workplace, CRI writes.

The forum attendees expressed their condolences for victims of the Sichuan province earthquake and offered donations, CRI says.