Ambassador Liu Jinsong: Women Hold up Half of the Sky Both in China and Afghanistan
驻阿富汗大使刘劲松：中阿两国女性各顶半边天
9 March 2018
2018年3月9日
Today, March 8th, is the International Women’s Day. Both China and Afghanistan attach great importance to this day, for it is a festival for women, as well as for the whole society to pay tribute to women. In China, working women are privileged to have a half day off, while men have to work all day long.
今天——3月8日——是国际劳动妇女节。中阿两国都很重视这个节日，因为这是女性的节日，也是全社会向女性致敬的节日。在中国，会为职业女性放半天假，男性可没有这个待遇，得全天干活。
Since assuming the office, I came to know that there was an old saying in Afghanistan puts that Women hold up half of the sky, which is similar to China. My Afghan friends and I couldn’t stop laughing and joking that women hold up half of the sky in both China and Afghanistan, then the sky will never have a chance to fall down and men need to worry for nothing.
我刚到喀布尔，就了解到阿富汗有和中国一样的谚语：“女性能顶半边天！”我和阿富汗朋友们都乐开了怀，开玩笑说：中阿两国的女性各顶半边天，那这个天就肯定塌不下来了，也不用让男士们操劳了！
The first letter I received after my taking office was from H.E. the First Lady Madame Rula Ghani. Her Excellency was so nice to send me a book titled Embroidering within Boundaries. The book makes a detailed introduction to how Afghan government and relevant organizations help women in rural areas for job creation and revive the Afghan traditional industry. During my meeting with H.E. the First lady later, she told me all about the tireless efforts she and her office made in promoting women’s empowerment and job creation. I was deeply impressed.
我到使馆后收到的第一封信，来自尊敬的第一夫人鲁拉·加尼女士。她送我《刺绣无国界》一书，这本书详细介绍了阿政府和相关组织帮助农村女性就业和振兴阿民族传统产业的事迹。第一夫人在与我会见时，详细介绍她本人和她领导的机构致力于女性赋权和就业的不懈努力，我对此深为感动。
I am so happy to learn that there are 3 female ministers, 10 female deputy ministers and 5 female ambassadors in Afghanistan. In my courtesy calls, I made acquaintance with many high-level Afghan female officials, MPs and intellectuals. They are no inferior to men, and well display the Afghan women’s elegance, gentleness, brightness and capability, which I admire so much.
我高兴地了解到，当前阿富汗共有3名女性部长，另有10名女性副部长和5名女性大使。我履新后结识了不少阿富汗女性高级官员、议员和知识分子。她们巾帼不让须眉，展现了阿富汗女性特有的优雅、温婉和精明强干，令我钦佩。
The Chinese women cause also has its glorious tradition and outstanding achievements. The life expectancy for women is nearly 80. Female makes up more than 50% of students at school, 45% of the employment population and 55% of the internet entrepreneurs.
中国的妇女事业也有光荣传统和不俗成绩。女性预期寿命已接近80岁，女生占大学在校生的一半以上，女性占就业总人口的45%，占互联网创业者的55%。
Last year, 24% of representatives of the 19th National Congress of the CPC and 1/4 representatives of the ongoing 13th National People’s Congress of China are women. At present, there are one female Deputy Premier and nearly 20 female ministerial officials in Chinese government.
去年中共十九大代表中有24%是女性。这些天正在召开中国全国人大，代表中四分之一是女代表。中国目前有一位女性副总理，女性省部级正职近20位。
After the founding of the P.R.C, we had female Deputy President, awarded more than 40 females as Generals. The Chinese female scientist Madame Tu Youyou got the Nobel Prize of medicine in 2015. Her great contribution using artemisinin to cure malaria has saved so many lives in different countries including Afghanistan.
新中国选举产生过女性国家副主席，授予40多位女性将军军衔。中国女性科学家屠呦呦获得2015年诺贝尔医学奖，她在青嵩素治疗疟疾方面的贡献，拯救了包括阿富汗在内许多国家民众的生命。
By far, there are about 2000 female diplomats including 10 ambassadors in China. H.E. Madame Fu Ying, the former Chinese Ambassador to UK, used to be my boss. When facing the anti-Chinese molecules trying to disturb the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay, she fearlessly lifted up the torch and ran forward. When someone questioned whether China has lost control over a country during the Munich Security Conference, Madame Fu answered with a smile that a word that sounds very western, China has never tried to control over any countries, please do not judge China with the image of other superpower. When someone questioned China’s military budget, she kicked the ball back that the NATO felt free to request its member states to raise their military budget to 2% of GDP, but made so many comments on China’s 1.5%. That’s totally double standard and surprised the whole world. All above are full demonstration of elegant demeanor of Chinese female diplomat.
中国现有约2000位女外交官，其中10多位是女大使。前驻英国大使傅莹曾是我的领导，当反华分子图谋冲击伦敦中国奥运火炬传递时，她高举火炬跑步向前，从容而坚毅。当有人在慕尼黑安全会议上质问中方“是否失去对某国的控制？”傅莹微笑说，“控制”这个词很西方化。中国从来不谋求控制他国，大家不要试图用他国的形象来评价中国。当有人对中国军费提出疑问时，她回敬道：北约要求成员国将军费提高到GDP的2%，却对中国1.5%的水平指指戳戳，这种双重标准让人大跌眼镜。这，就是中国女外交官的风采。
Cooperation on women affairs is an important component of China-Afghanistan strategic cooperative partnership. In October, 2014, H.E. Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan, paid a state visit to China on invitation of H.E. Mr. Xi Jinping, President of China. The two countries issued a Joint Statement in which the Chinese side promised to support the Afghanistan government’s efforts of promoting the rights of women as well as the empowerment of women, and offer assistance to Afghan women and children within its capacity. During the 2nd Meeting of Kabul Process held last month, the Chinese side once again elaborated its support to Afghan women comprehensive and meaningful participation in Afghan peace and reconciliation process.
妇女事务合作是中阿战略合作伙伴关系的重要内容。早在2014年10月加尼总统应习近平主席邀请访华时发表的联合声明中，中方就明确表示“支持阿方促进妇女权利和赋权妇女的努力，为阿富汗妇女儿童提供力所能及的帮助。”在上月成功举行的喀布尔进程第二次会议上，中方也支持阿富汗妇女对国内和解进程全面和有意义的参与。
In 2017, we offered training opportunities in China for 104 Afghan women professionals in different fields, and 3 excellent female students were awarded the Chinese Government Scholarship and are studying in China now. Ms. Shahnaz, a staff of Ministry of Commercial and Industries, participated in a short-term training course in China. After return, she said with excitement that within a few weeks in China, she learned a lot and wished to apply all these experiences and knowledge to the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan. Last year, the Chinese Embassy donated fitness equipment for Afghan Ministry of Women Affairs, beds and toys for girls in kindergarten of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as computers, stationaries to the Malalai Female High School. With its own donation, China constructed hospitals in Kandahar and Kabul, facilities in Kabul University, low-cost housing project, National Vocational Training Center. Teaching materials and textbooks have also been donated to schools across Afghanistan. Like many past years, these donations will continue to benefit tens of thousands of women in Afghanistan.
2017年，中国为104位阿各界女性专业人士提供了在中国国内培训的机会，3位阿富汗优秀女学生获得中国政府奖学金在华深造。曾在中国接受短期培训的阿富汗商工部工作人员沙赫娜兹返阿后激动地表示，在中国时间虽短，学到的东西却很多，希望将这些经验和知识用于阿富汗的经济建设。过去一年里，中国大使馆为阿富汗妇女事务部提供健身设施，为阿外交部幼儿园的女孩提供童床和玩具，为喀布尔马莱拉女子高中提供计算机和文体器材。中国援建的坎大哈中国医院、喀布尔共和国医院、喀布尔大学相关设施、简易和低造价住房、国家职业培训中心，还有资助各地学校的教具教材，已经并将继续让成千上万阿富汗女性受益。
Some Chinese women, fearless to wars and violence, are bravely working in Afghanistan and serving the Afghan people with heart and soul. Ms. Gulnisa, a teacher in the Confucius Institute of Kabul University, came to Afghanistan last March. Her husband, Mr. Tursun, married her 35 years ago, retired in advance and came to accompany her. But unfortunately, Mr. Tursun passed away due to illness. When Ms. Gulnisa went back to China to attend her husband’s funeral, many friends advised her to stay in Urumqi and enjoy her late life. However, she came back to Kabul and continued her teaching with great pain in heart only one week after finishing her husband’s funeral, because she cannot set aside her responsibilities and students here, and wants to ease her husband’s soul by her teaching achievement, and would like to go through thick and thin with her Afghan colleagues and students. Her story is widely listened in Kabul University and touched the heart of many Chinese and Afghan friends.
还有不少中国女性不畏战乱，坚守在阿富汗的土地上，竭诚服务阿富汗民众。古丽尼沙·加马力老师去年3月来到喀布尔大学孔子学院执教中文，与她结婚35年的丈夫吐尔逊提前办了退休来阿富汗陪伴妻子，却不幸在这里因病去世。古丽尼沙老师回国办理后事时，很多人都劝她留在乌鲁木齐安享生活，但古丽尼沙老师仅仅一周后就强忍悲痛回到喀布尔重执教鞭，因为她放不下这里的责任和学生，希望用自己教学的成绩告慰爱人在天之灵，希望与阿富汗的同事和学生们同甘共苦。她的事迹在喀布尔大学广为传颂，感动了中阿两国许多朋友。
In Afghanistan, there is also female boss and her Chinese restaurant which is widely welcome around the area, female Secretary General and her Chinese Business Association and also Chinese female reporter who ran to the field of explosion instead of escaping when hearing the sound of alarm. They all have been in Afghanistan for years or even more than 10 years, living harmony with the Afghan society and offering their care to the vulnerable here. They have devoted their youth and love to this country.
在阿富汗，还有中国女老板经营的人人称赞的中餐馆，有中国女会长领导的在阿华商协会，有听到警报不去躲避却勇敢跑向现场采访的中国女记者。她们在阿富汗一待就是几年甚至十几年，融入阿富汗社会，关怀阿富汗弱势群体，将青春和爱心都给了阿富汗！
Days ago, I asked a 7-year-old little girl named Fareshta, who is living in Char Rah-e-Qambar Camp and came to visit the Chinese Embassy that day, “what is your biggest aspiration”. She answered without hesitation, “Go to School for study!” The answer is so simple and clear, but also heartfelt. Let us do something for the Afghan girls, and help them to realize their dreams like boys. Just like the words of Mr. Sun Yat-sen, the forerunner of Chinese revolution, should there is no woman, the world would lose half sincerity, 70% goodness and all beauty. Should there is no woman, there is no human.
几天前，我问来使馆做客的查瑞-坎巴难民营的7岁小姑娘哈莉莎塔，“你最大的愿望是什么？”她毫不犹豫地回答：“读书！”简洁明快又令人心痛。让我们一起为阿富汗的女孩子做些事，让女孩们能和男孩一样实现自己的梦想。诚如中国革命伟大的先行者孙中山所言：这个世界如果少了女性，将失去百分之五十的真，百分之七十的善，百分之百的美。 没有女性，也就没有了人类！