Peng Liyuan, China's first lady and a UNESCO special envoy (second from right), and director-general of UNESCO Irina Bokova (second from left) present awards at a ceremony in Beijing on Monday to winners of the first UNESCO Prize for Girl's and Women's Education. FENG YONGBIN / CHINA DAILY

Peng Liyuan, China's first lady and a UNESCO special envoy for advancing girls' and women's education, called on Monday for the promotion of gender equality in education and for better education for females.

She made the appeal at an awards ceremony in Beijing for the first UNESCO Prize for Girl's and Women's Education.

Supported by China, the prize is given annually to two laureates. It consists of an award of $50,000 each to further their work in girls' and women's education.

This year's winners are Ella Yulaelawati, director of early childhood education at the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, and Evernice Munando from Zimbabwe, founder of the Female Students Network.

Peng, who became a UNESCO special envoy in March 2014, said the world still faces great challenges in educating girls and women, with women accounting for more than 60 percent of illiterate adults worldwide.

Peng became the sixth person — and the first Chinese — to serve as a UNESCO special envoy.

The awards will play a key role in promoting efforts to ensure equality in education, Peng said, stressing that she is ready to make every effort to realize educational rights for girls and women.

Irina Bokova, UNESCO's director-general, thanked the Chinese government for its leadership.

She also thanked Peng for her lifelong commitment to advancing empowerment for girls and women — embodied in her actions as a UNESCO special envoy.