President John Dramani Mahama has arrived in Beijing, China, to participate in the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women scheduled for October 13 to 14, 2025. The Ghanaian leader is attending the high-level summit in his capacity as an African Union champion, joining dozens of heads of state and government from around the world for the two-day gathering focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The meeting, which is being co-hosted by China and UN Women, will feature Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony where he is expected to deliver a keynote speech. The summit represents a significant global platform for discussing women’s advancement and gender development issues, bringing together leaders, parliamentary speakers, deputy prime ministers, ministerial-level officials, and representatives of international organizations.
Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, is leading embassy staff to welcome President Mahama and First Lady Lordina Mahama for the three-day official visit that began on Sunday, October 12, 2025. The visit extends beyond the women’s summit, suggesting additional bilateral engagements between Ghana and China during the President’s stay.
President Mahama has been assigned multiple champion roles within the African Union framework, demonstrating Ghana’s active participation in continental initiatives. His attendance at the Beijing summit aligns with his broader advocacy for inclusive development and social progress across Africa.
The Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women comes at a crucial time when gender equality remains a pressing global challenge. Dozens of heads of government, house speakers, vice-premiers and ministerial-level officials from around the world are converging on Beijing to discuss strategies for advancing women’s rights, economic empowerment, and political participation.
The visit was confirmed earlier by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who announced in September that President Mahama would travel to China in October at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. This diplomatic exchange underscores the strengthening relationship between Ghana and China, which has deepened through various development cooperation agreements over recent years.
China’s decision to co-host the summit with UN Women reflects Beijing’s efforts to position itself as a global leader on women’s issues. The meeting provides participating leaders an opportunity to share best practices, forge partnerships, and commit to concrete actions advancing gender equality in their respective countries and regions.
For Ghana, President Mahama’s participation signals the country’s commitment to gender mainstreaming and women’s development. The nation has made progress on various gender equality indicators, though challenges remain in areas such as political representation, economic opportunities, and protection from gender-based violence.
The summit agenda is expected to cover multiple dimensions of women’s empowerment, including economic participation, education access, health services, political leadership, and protection from discrimination and violence. Leaders will likely discuss financing mechanisms for gender equality programs and explore innovative approaches to accelerating progress toward global development goals.
President Mahama’s engagement with international forums on development issues has been a hallmark of his leadership style. Beyond his current summit participation, he serves as African Union Champion for Financial Institutions, advocating for reforms in global financial architecture to better serve African development needs.
The Beijing meeting also provides Ghana an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations with China, which has become one of Africa’s most significant economic partners. Chinese investments in Ghana span infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, and other strategic sectors contributing to the country’s development objectives.
As the summit unfolds, President Mahama is expected to articulate Ghana’s perspectives on gender equality challenges and solutions while learning from experiences of other nations. The gathering offers a platform for African voices to shape global conversations about women’s advancement and ensure that interventions address the continent’s specific contexts and priorities.
The Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women represents part of ongoing international efforts to accelerate implementation of gender equality commitments, including those outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted three decades ago.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
