Digital, intelligent technologies empower women worldwide

In September, more than 50 foreign women, including business owners and university students, attended a digital skills workshop in east China's Zhejiang Province to learn how to manage online stores.

The workshop, hosted by the Global Exchange and Cooperation Center for Digital Empowerment of Women, offered e-commerce training for women from developing countries. It aimed to strengthen participants' digital skills and support women's empowerment through technology.

Foreign business owners, college students and local business owners attend a training session on artificial intelligence and e-commerce in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo/Xu Xiaohang)

Today, digital and intelligent technologies have become powerful engines of global economic growth, and women are playing an increasingly vital role in driving the digital economy forward. According to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), from 2025 to 2030, greater participation of women in the digital economy is expected to add more than $300 billion to the e-commerce markets of Africa and Southeast Asia alone.

China has launched a series of initiatives to promote digital education and skills training for women, encourage the growth of women-led e-commerce brands, and help women acquire new capabilities to boost their competitiveness in the digital economy.

Women now account for more than half of all entrepreneurs in China's internet industry. From 2022 to 2023, over 71.85 million women were employed in the country's e-commerce, platform services, and online business sectors.

China is deepening international cooperation by sharing its experience in empowering women through digital and intelligent technologies. Through capacity-building programs, expanded market access, financial support, and other efforts, China is helping women around the world participate in the digital economy and pursue employment opportunities or start their own businesses.

In November 2024, the China International Development Cooperation Agency, in collaboration with China's Ministry of Commerce, UNCTAD, and other organizations, launched workshops in Beijing and Shanghai to enhance e-commerce and digital economy capabilities for women entrepreneurs from developing countries. The program brought together women entrepreneurs from 12 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Through lectures, discussions, and field visits, participants gained practical knowledge and digital skills to better navigate and succeed in the digital economy.

China has launched a series of initiatives and practical measures to promote women's development through digital and intelligent technologies, close the gender digital divide and advance international cooperation in digital governance.

At the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China introduced the Global AI Governance Initiative, calling for measures to prevent gender bias in AI development. At the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, China promoted the resolution on "Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-building of Artificial Intelligence," emphasizing the need to ensure everyone benefits from AI, improve digital inclusion, and advance gender equality and women's empowerment.

In July 2025, China established the Global Exchange and Cooperation Center for Digital Empowerment of Women to cultivate talents, facilitate exchange and promote cooperation. From putting forward initiatives to taking concrete actions, China is promoting inclusive and sustainable development for women worldwide through institutional design, joint construction of platforms and talent cultivation.