Shanghai Women's Federation promotes World Expo 2010 in Cairo

CAIRO, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Delegates from Shanghai Women's Federation strived on Tuesday to promote World Expo 2010 to their African colleagues with a touch of Chinese music and African dance, at the sideline of China-Africa Women's Forum in Cairo.

Some 51 countries and international organizations have confirmed their participation in the Expo, 43 of which are going to provide shows in the African Pavilion, said Zhang Lili, head of the Shanghai Women's Federation.

Zhang said the African pavilion, with a floor area of 26,000 square meters, will highlight diversified characteristics of the African continent and the ancient African civilization and modern vitality.

She and other members of the federation held a lunch reception to show the ancient as well as modern Chinese cultural elements to promote the Expo.

Zhang's organization is the Shanghai branch of the All-China Women's Federation, which jointly sponsored the Women's Forum under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa with Egypt's National Council for Women.

Performers of Chinese traditional musical instruments Erhu, Pipa and flute were invited to the luncheon to provide the audience a taste of traditional Chinese music. Many African and Chinese delegates joined the band for a bit of dancing, when they began to play a series of African folk songs.

Zhang said that the World Expo not only provides gathering and integration for diversified civilizations but also offers an opportunity to achieve women's tremendous development and progress with women's active participation in the process.

She said that an international forum on women and city development will also be held during the Summit Forum of Expo 2010Shanghai China in late October next year.

"We sincerely invite friends from African countries to come and get involved in this international forum," she said.

"I like the performance and I will let my friends know about the Shanghai Expo to see if they would have a chance to participate," said Seham Gabrel, an Egyptian woman representative from Sinai.

The world Expo 2010 is scheduled to be held in Shanghai from May 1st to October 31 next year. It will be the first time for the World Expo to be held in a developing nation in the more than 100 year history of the Expo.