She was born in 1952, in Jiangsu Province, PRC. In 1975 she obtained her Bachelor in English Literature from the Beijing Foreign Studies University. In 1980 she earned a Diploma in History, Politics and Literature from the University of Canberra. In 1985 majored in Sociology, Women Studies from the University of Chicago and in 1986 she obtained a Diploma in Methodology, data collection and data analysis from the University of Los Andes.

Ms. Zou Xiaoqiao has been working on the advancement of women’s rights both locally and internationally for nearly 30 years and has the rich experiences in this area. Over the years, she has been deeply involved in the activity of implementing and popularizing the CEDAW and actively participated in discussion and compilation of several China’s Periodic Reports and related supplementary report on implementation of the CEDAW.

Ms. Zou has served as a delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women for nearly 10 years. She has been devoted herself to the international exchange activities and held deep discussion with experts from other countries in issues of women’s human rights, women in politics, women in economic development, women in education and training, population, etc. She has had a profound study on violence against women, trafficking in women and other issues of women’s human rights.

She has been a member of the official delegation to numerous regional and international conferences, including the Third World Conference on Women (Nairobi), the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing), the 23rd special session of the UN General Assembly, the International Conference on Population and Development, the World Summit for Social Development, UN Commission on the Status of Women and Commission on human Rights. She also participated in the Project on Household, Gender and Age, a study focusing on the impact of economic development and reform among rural women in Southwest China, co-sponsored by All-China Women’s Federation and UN University.

She has been Director General, International Liaison Department, of All-China Women’s Federation. Ms. Zou Xiaoqiao is member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Other positions she has held are: Senior Advisor on gender issues of the State Council working Committee on Women and Children, China; Board member of China International Exchanges Associations; Council Member of China UN Association, Member of China UNESCO National Committee; Member of Coordinating Committee on Women Leaders’ Network, Asian and Pacific Association.