The 2025 China Women’s Film Festival opened on Friday at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja, with renewed commitments from Chinese and Nigerian officials to deepen cultural diplomacy, gender equality, and creative collaboration between the two nations.
The four-day festival, jointly organised by the Chinese Embassy and the China Cultural Centre, features four acclaimed women-themed Chinese films — The Dumpling Queen, The Beautiful Life, Song of Spring, and Her Story — celebrating the strength, resilience, and creativity of women in society.
Minister Zhou Hongyou, representing the Chinese Embassy, described women as “an indispensable force in the development of human society,” noting that China remains committed to advancing gender equality both domestically and globally.
“Women are not only the foundation of families and societies but also a vital force driving social development and progress,” Zhou said. “The Chinese government has always attached great importance to improving women’s social status and creating equal opportunities in education and employment.”
Zhou highlighted China’s remarkable achievements in promoting women’s welfare, citing recent data from a government white paper.
“Today, 690 million women have achieved moderate prosperity, while the average life expectancy for women in China has risen to 80.9 years,” the minister revealed. “Women now account for 43 percent of the total employed population, and by 2024, female students represented more than half of all those in higher education.”
Zhou emphasised that China integrates women’s development into its Five-Year National Development Plans and remains a “practitioner and advocate” of gender equality worldwide.
“China is willing to work with Nigeria and other countries around the world to accelerate the comprehensive development of women and open a new chapter in the advancement of women’s causes globally,” he added.
In her remarks, Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, praised the festival for fostering “creativity, resilience, and storytelling as tools of empowerment.”
“This festival celebrates the power of storytelling to connect nations and inspire change,” she said. “It coincides with a renewed global reflection on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which shaped three decades of global advocacy for women’s rights and empowerment.”
The minister linked Nigeria’s gender initiatives to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises social inclusion and empowerment.
“Through the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention Program, we are advancing transformative initiatives that promote women’s economic empowerment, strengthen family systems, and enhance child protection,” she explained.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that Nigeria stands to learn from China’s success in leveraging “culture, technology, and social innovation” to achieve social progress.
“Our partnership can continue to foster capacity building, creative industry exchange, and women-led entrepreneurship, especially in areas such as digital storytelling and cultural diplomacy,” she stated. “Together, we can amplify women’s voices and build bridges of understanding.”
Also speaking at the event, Hon. Gabriel Saleh Zock, Chairman of the House Committee on Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, hailed the China Women’s Film Festival as “a vital platform for strengthening bilateral relations through art.”
“Cinema remains one of the most powerful instruments for shaping perceptions, preserving heritage, and driving social change,” he said. “By celebrating the achievements of women in film, China reinforces a shared global vision of gender equality, empowerment, and inclusive growth.”
Hon. Zock commended the Chinese Embassy for sustaining cultural cooperation with Nigeria, noting that such partnerships align with Nigeria’s Five-Year Strategic Plan (2025–2030) for the creative economy.
“Our plan seeks to reposition Nigeria’s cultural and creative sectors as engines of economic growth, social inclusion, and international cooperation,” he said. “Among its key pillars are empowering women and youth through creative industries, promoting digital transformation, and fostering strategic international partnerships.”
He emphasised that Nigeria’s parliament remains committed to laws that protect intellectual property, promote gender inclusion, and expand creative financing.
“When women tell their stories, societies evolve; when nations exchange their art, peace and prosperity follow,” Zock declared.
The festival, which runs from October 10 to 13, is part of the broader outcomes of the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), aimed at deepening people-to-people exchanges and cultural understanding between Africa and China.
As the opening ceremony concluded, speakers expressed optimism that the event would not only showcase the strength of women in film but also “inspire new creative partnerships between Nigeria and China” in the years ahead.
