China makes significant, far-reaching contributions to women's empowerment worldwide

Firmly believing that gender equality and women's well-rounded development are important goals of jointly building a better world for all, China has made continued efforts to promote gender equality and women's empowerment globally.

In recent years, the country has not only advanced the high-quality development of its own women's programs but also taken concrete actions to deepen South-South cooperation and North-South dialogue, intensifying support for women's causes in other developing countries.

Through livelihood projects, capacity-building programs and active participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, China has worked to help foster an enabling international environment for women's development, making tangible contributions to global women's empowerment.

Livelihood projects improve women's living, development conditions

"Our dreams have come true thanks to Juncao technology," Seruwaia Waiti Kabukabu, a woman from Fiji, said at the Ninth Global Review of Aid for Trade hosted by the World Trade Organization in Geneva in June 2024.

She shared how Juncao technology, a Chinese innovation that uses specially cultivated grass to grow mushrooms, transformed the lives of local women.

A Chinese expert (left) instructs a Fijian farmer to manage Juncao in the field. (People's Daily/Bai Yuanqi)

After Chinese experts introduced Juncao technology into her community, Kabukabu and her fellow villagers found new hope for building a better life, according to Kabukabu, who is now the chairwoman of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association.

Her family's income grew steadily, and inspired by her success, more than 20 local women joined a China-supported Juncao technology training program, starting their journey toward self-reliance and skill development.

In fact, China's assistance programs and training courses on Juncao technology have helped women in over 100 countries gain employment.

Lin Dongmei, the daughter of Chinese Professor Lin Zhanxi, known as the "father of Juncao," has traveled to various parts of the world, including Africa and Oceania, to teach Juncao technology to local communities.

With Lin Dongmei's help, Freda Korarome, once an impoverished rural woman selling wild vegetables in Papua New Guinea's Eastern Highlands Province, has transformed into a skilled Juncao grower and entrepreneur.

She established her own mushroom farm, training 1,500 local women, youth and people with disabilities, and transforming Juncao technology into a source of prosperity for many local communities.

"During my work assisting people in other developing countries, I've met many women like Korarome," said Lin Dongmei. "Juncao technology has enabled many unemployed and disabled women to grow into heads of trade associations, entrepreneurs and technicians."

China has continuously supported developing countries in improving women's living and development conditions and helping them achieve self-reliance through a series of pragmatic initiatives. These include helping other developing countries carry out the "health projects for women and children" and "happy campus projects" and leveraging the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund to implement projects on women's empowerment in more than 20 countries.

Capacity-building programs unlock women's potential

In recent years, China has made unremitting efforts to enhance international cooperation on capacity-building for women, establishing a multi-tiered, wide-ranging training network for women's empowerment.

It has set up a global training base for women's development cooperation and exchange in Beijing in an effort to develop tailor-made projects on women's empowerment for different countries.

China has co-founded women's training and exchange centers with 15 countries, providing more pragmatic and effective training through on-site training and hands-on guidance at community workshops.

The country has launched and implemented more than 100 dedicated training sessions, including seminars on women's and children's health promotion under the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and on women- and children-related topics for developing countries implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

China has also launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development.

Training projects provided by China have not only taught practical skills but also paved the way for women in developing countries to achieve self-reliance, said a female official from Rwanda who took part in a China-organized training project designed to empower women in entrepreneurship and innovation.

In Vientiane, Laos, China's training projects tailored to local needs have won great popularity among local women.

Representative inheritors of two forms of China's national-level intangible cultural heritage, bamboo weaving and rattan weaving, simplified traditional techniques into accessible steps and redesigned tools for easier handling. They successfully taught local women to turn bamboo and rattan strips into exquisite trays and other handicrafts that are both practical and visually appealing.

As a result, 16 trainees produced 128 items within three days at a workshop in Vientiane, 30 of which were sold to southwest China's Yunnan Province — earning their first income from handicrafts.

"China's training programs truly meet the practical needs of Lao women," said Aly Vongnobountham, president of the Lao Women's Union. "They empower women to create value and earn respect with their own hands — a living embodiment of gender equality in action."

Peacekeeping operations highlight women's distinct role

As a firm supporter of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the women, peace and security agenda, China has actively encouraged women's participation in conflict prevention, peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction.

Since deploying its first peacekeeping contingent to Lebanon in 2006, the country has sent batch after batch of female peacekeepers to the frontlines of peacekeeping missions: some clear mines and explosive devices to open safe passages for local residents; some work tirelessly in operating rooms, safeguarding people's lives; some engage directly with communities to protect women and children, offering care with patience and empathy; and some serve in command positions, demonstrating professional competence and leadership.

In peacekeeping operations, Chinese female peacekeepers play an irreplaceable role.

Through their sensitive communication skills and empathy, they have strengthened the trust of local communities — especially women and children — in peacekeeping efforts.

By bringing a female perspective, they also make conflict prevention, community integration and post-conflict reconstruction efforts more attuned to local needs and more human-centered.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, female members of the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent have been affectionately called "Chinese moms" by children in the International SOS Children's Village in Bukavu.

In 2020, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, received the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award — the first Chinese peacekeeper ever to win this honor — for her outstanding professionalism and dedication.

So far, over 1,200 Chinese women peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers have participated in UN operations, playing a crucial role in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols, and observation, as well as efforts to advance gender equality and protect women.

Additionally, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund has initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations.

From technology sharing, capacity-building, and long-standing support in women's empowerment initiatives to active participation in international efforts addressing global challenges, China has consistently promoted the advancement of women's causes worldwide through practical actions and open approaches, helping to narrow gaps in women's development globally.

Looking ahead, the country stands ready to work with various parties to foster inclusive and sustainable development for women's causes around the world.