In rural Uganda, teenage girls once faced a stark choice: drop out of school to marry early, or struggle through classrooms without proper sanitation or safety. That has been slowly changing. The Promoting Equality in African Schools (PEAS) program has built campuses that are safe, gender-responsive, and supportive of girls' health and dignity. Each year, nearly 300,000 students in Uganda, Zambia and Ghana benefit from the program.

In Zambia, the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) tells a similar story of transformation. Since 2001, its initiative to help girls overcome barriers to secondary education has enabled more than 617,000 young women in rural areas to complete school. Equipped with skills for leadership and community work, many graduates have become role models in villages where, not long ago, daughters were the first to be denied education.

These are the kinds of stories celebrated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which marked its 10th anniversary in Beijing on Friday. This year, projects from Kenya and Lebanon were awarded.

Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping and UNESCO special envoy for the advancement of girls' and women's education, and Audrey Azoulay, director-general of the UNESCO presented the awards to the two programs.

During her speech, Peng delivered a message that resonated far beyond the ceremony. She said as the world steps into an age driven by artificial intelligence and rapid technological changes, women must be empowered with science education.

"We must place greater emphasis on women's science education," she said, calling for women to be equipped with knowledge, technological skills and innovative capacity. "We must strive to ensure that women can embrace the technological revolution and create fulfilled lives," Peng stressed.

China's achievements in promoting women's all-round development, particularly in education, reinforce Peng's message. According to official data, by 2024, the country had effectively closed the gender gap in schooling: girls accounted for 47.3 percent of the kindergarten students, 46.98 percent in nine-year compulsory education, and 49.3 percent of the high school students. In higher education, women made up 50.76 percent of the enrolled students, an increase of 14.15 percentage points since 1995.

Beyond statistics, China has launched a series of programs to encourage girls' participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. For instance, in 2018, the China Women's Development Foundation launched "Exploring the Future" program for girls aged 12-16, introducing them to the labs of top universities and research institutes. So far, over 8,200 students have explored fields from mechanical engineering to biophysics, developing projects that bridge classroom learning with real-world applications.

At Friday's ceremony, Azoulay thanked China for its long-standing support for UNESCO and its global efforts to empower women and girls.

Since hosting the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China has taken concrete steps to promote gender equality globally. According to the white paper issued by the State Council Information Office on Friday, China co-established the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, supported 100 "Maternal and Child Health" projects and 100 "Happy Campus" initiatives, and launched numerous vocational training programs for women and girls. Through these initiatives, China has helped train over 200,000 women from more than 180 countries and regions.

"China has always attached great importance to advancing women's science education," Peng emphasized. "We look forward to deepening cooperation with UNESCO and relevant parties to comprehensively strengthen capacity-building in women's science education and jointly elevate the level of women's science education."