Speech on International Women’s Day Reception
by Sebastian Wood, UK Ambassador to China
08 Mar 2010


在2010年三八国际妇女节招待会的致辞
英国驻华大使 吴思田
2010年3月8日



International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world on March 8th. It is a day when women are recognised for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that awaits future generations of women.


3月8日，世界上许多国家都在庆祝“国际妇女节”。这是认可女性成就的一天，而不论分歧，不管国家、语言、文化、经济或政治。这是回顾过去的斗争与成就的时刻，而且更重要的是，这是展望蕴藏着的潜力和机会等待未来的女性去开发的时刻。


This year’s theme is “Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all". The UK firmly believes that gender equality is at the heart of development of any society and is committed to fully realising this aim.


今年“国际妇女节”的主题是“平等权利、平等机会：共同进步”。英国坚定地认为性别平等应该是任何社会发展的核心，并承诺将全力去实现这一目标。


China has made a remarkable journey when it comes to gender equality. From looking at the number of successful women in this room, it would be easy to assume that that journey is almost complete. In fact, one might ask, does International Women’s Day hold any relevance anymore? In both the UK and China, women are involved in decision-making processes, they participate in almost all aspects of society, laws exist to protect the rights of women, women own some of the most successful businesses, etc… It is clear gender equality in both our societies has progressed in leaps and bounds but there are still plenty of issues to tackle. 


当提到性别平等时，中国有着不同寻常的历程。看看这间屋子里成功女性的数量，人们很容易看到中国几乎完成性别平等的历程。事实上，有人可能会问，“国际妇女节”不再适宜了吗？在英国和中国，女性参与决策过程，她们几乎参与到社会所有方面，现有法律保护妇女权利，一些女性拥有一些最成功的企业，等等……很明显地，我们两国社会在性别平等上都取得了迅速的进步，但仍有许多问题需要解决。


It is evident that barriers still exist for women in the work place. Gender based discrimination still occurs at the most fundamental levels. Discrimination with respect to issues such as wages, recruitment, retirement age, and sexual harassment remains widespread. Domestic violence and rape are still significant problems. The participation of women in government and business is lacking and this is a huge missed opportunity. Thankfully, it is women like those of you here today who prove that despite forms of discrimination, sometimes overt, sometimes unconscious, women’s achievements and contributions to society can not be ignored and that is what we want to celebrate here today.


很明显地，对女性来说，在职场上仍然存在着阻碍。基于性别的歧视仍然发生在最基本层面上。诸如在工资、招聘、退休年龄以及性骚扰等方面的歧视问题依然很普遍。家庭暴力和强奸依旧是重大的问题。妇女在政府和商业界参与不足，这是巨大的错失的机会。令人欣喜的是，今天像在座的各位女性，你们证明了，尽管存在着各种形式的歧视，有时是明显的，有时是无意识的，但是妇女在社会中取得的成就，以及对社会所做的贡献不能被忽视，这也是我们今天想要庆祝的。


China and the UK are signatories to CEDAW (Convention to Eliminate All Discrimination Against Women) and but we still have a long way to go to ultimately achieve this goal.  I hope that is something we can work together on.


中国和英国均是《消除对妇女一切形式歧视公约》签约国，但是要最终实现这个目标，我们仍然有很长的路要走。我希望我们可以在这些事情上进行合作。


International Women’s Day remains an important reminder of disadvantaged women globally, as well as a marker of women’s progress in society. It presents an opportunity to reflect on the changes still needed in society. As long as the under-representation of women in government, business and policy-making bodies remains, our societies will not realise their full potential. And that is why we are celebrating you. As women in prominent positions you set a precedent for the next generations.


“国际妇女节” 仍然是对人们要关注全球弱势女性的重要提醒，也是妇女在社会上取得进步的标志。它提供了一个机会来思考社会中仍然需要变化。只要妇女在政府、商业界和政策制定机构的代表名额不足，那么我们的社会就不能认识到女性的全部潜力。而这就是为什么我们要为你们庆祝。作为杰出女性，你们为下一代树立了榜样。


We must not forget that IWD is only one day and what really matters is what happens tomorrow and the day after that.


我们必须不能忘记，“国际妇女节”仅仅是一天，真正重要的是明天以及未来的每一天会发生什么。


This day is all about you. It’s about providing inspiration, motivation, connection and opportunity and it’s about recognising your achievements. I am honoured to be in a room full of so many truly remarkable women, and look forward to having the opportunity of meeting all of you.


这是属于你们的一天，是一个关于鼓舞、激励、连结和机会的一天，是对你们取得成就的认可。我很荣幸今天能够与如此多的杰出女性汇聚一堂，我期望能有机会认识你们大家。