Xiplomacy: How China helps empower women from Asia to Africa

GREATER HER EMPOWERMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

In late September, over 40 female officials from Pakistan and the Central African Republic visited China to participate in capacity-building workshops organized by the newly established Global Exchange and Cooperation Center for Digital Empowerment of Women.

In cities and towns like Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Yiwu, they studied China's grassroots governance, researched cases related to women's entrepreneurship, digital villages and cross-border e-commerce. The visit helped them gain firsthand insight into how China leverages digital technologies to empower women, boosting both women's self-development and their social contribution.

To deepen cooperation in capacity-building for women in developing countries, China has initiated over 100 training projects focused on women and children in developing countries since 2018, training nearly 4,000 talents in the field of women's empowerment.

Additionally, China has established a global training base for women's development cooperation and exchange, designing tailored empowerment programs for developing countries. Collaborative training and exchange centers have been set up in partnership with 15 countries. Leveraging the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has also implemented women-focused projects in more than 20 countries, with total funding exceeding $40 million.

For Bokova, the former UNESCO head, one of China's most impressive recent achievements is how Chinese women are "riding the wave" of the digital economy.

"We know all too well that this is the economy of the future," Bokova observed. "If we want to support women's empowerment, we should equip women with digital skills so they can participate flexibly and fully in the growing digital economy. That is exactly what China is doing today."

Monica Monteiro, chairperson of the Brazilian Chapter of BRICS Women's Business Alliance, said that while women in developing countries still face certain obstacles, digitalization and the knowledge economy are creating new opportunities and opening new pathways for women's development.

China has achieved remarkable success in promoting women's employment and entrepreneurship in the digital technology sector, providing valuable references and examples for Global South countries, she said.