Participants attend the session "Women Empowering Africa" on the first day of Africa 2018 Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Dec. 8, 2018. Meetings of Africa 2018 Forum kicked off on Saturday in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh with the participation of a number of African leaders from the countries of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. A number of sessions on empowering the African women were also held, including a roundtable discussion on the importance of gender equality in achieving African progress. (Xinhua/Meng Tao)