Recently, Zhang Yinjun, director of China Youth AIDS Prevention and Education Project Office and executive chairman of Nishan World Women's Forum, was invited to attend the 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
On the afternoon of March 20, 2017, Ms. Zhang Yinjun participated in the United Nations parallel event of "Connecting the Continents with Peace" organized by the International Peace and Sustainable Development Alliance in the United Nations ex press Hall, and made a wonderful speech in English. Ms. Zhang Yinjun introduced the Nishan Forum, Nishan Women's Forum, Youth Love Project, Maternal Love Academy and other aspects to the conference, which was warmly echoed by the participants.

At this conference, Ms. Zhang Yinjun was the only Chinese woman present. After the meeting, the United Nations Branch of Xinhua News Agency arranged an exclusive interview with Ms. Zhang Yinjun. Xinhua News Agency, China News Agency, People's Pictorial, Sohu News, etc. made special reports and English reports on relevant news.

How Women in China are Working Together to Improve Life for Everyone

Dear Chairman, dear Sally, Dear friends

I am from China, and I have dedicated the past twelve years to HIV/AIDS prevention education and poverty alleviation for Chinese youth. The APEPCY project, which I started twelve years ago, focuses on building APEPCY stations and parent classrooms in kindergartens, primary schools, middle schools and universities all around China. We primarily offer education focused on HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment, comprehensive sexuality education and personal development training. We aim to prevent the transmission of AIDS from the source, and to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, especially among adolescents.

Over the past twelve years, the APEPCY project has set up more than 1,000 stations in more than 20 provinces and cities in China. In total, more than ten million students, teachers and parents have directly benefited from this work. In particular, our work in China’s Yunnan province has received the attention and support of UNAIDS, where we carry out cross-border as well as cross-sector cooperation.

In September 2016, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNAIDS Executive Director Mr. Michel Sidibé, accompanied by his team, traveled to Yunnan and visited the local APEPCY stations. He was briefed on the operation and highly commended our work. He also expressed the hope to promote our experience in sexuality education in schools to the whole world.

Due to our relentless effort, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang instructed the whole government system to attach great importance to HIV/AIDS prevention education. The Vice Premier for Education and Health, Ms. Liu Yandong instructed the Ministry of Education and Commission of Health and Family planning to integrate Health Education such as AIDS prevention education into the National Education system. This was a significant undertaking in China.

In my twelve years of this charitable work, I have had the most contact with women and children. Over the past twelve years, my team and I have helped more than twenty thousand families in poverty, most of whom live near the border areas of China. I feel that I need to motivate more women, and more mothers to be involved in this endeavor. As a result, from my initiative, Ms. Catherine Sozi, the UNAIDS Country Director of China and I started “The Mothers’ Campaign ” in 2015. This work has attracted the attention of more and more women and men. Inspired by this movement, I founded the Nishan Academy of Maternal Education in the birthplace of the great Chinese philosopher and educator, Confucius------Qufu in Shandong province, with the aim to host a world women’s forum. With our efforts, the first Nishan World Women’s Forum was held successfully in November 2016.

The Nishan World Women’s Forum is an international platform we built for women from everywhere around the world, its main focus is to promote women’s empowerment. The second Nishan World Women’s Forum will be held in May of 2018. I warmly welcome everyone to come.

The cause for women is the common cause for all human beings. In line with the goals set by the 《 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development》, the future development of mankind including poverty alleviation are directly related to women’s empowerment and are of extreme historical significance. Historical experience shows that a bright futures requires women to play active and engaged roles. Let us join hands and work together for a better future!

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the committee for giving me this opportunity to speak. Lastly, I would like to take a moment in special thanks to you, Mrs. Sally Kadar, the president of the organization for all the hard work that your team is doing across the globe in fields such as women’s empowerment, youth leadership education, and interfaith dialogue. Thank you all very much!