ACWF VP Visits Gansu, Stresses Women's Roles in Poverty Reduction

Vice President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation Song Xiuyan (F,R3) makes an inspection tour of northwest China's Gansu Province. [gansu.gscn.com]

Vice President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation Song Xiuyan said that women and women's federations play a prominent role in shaking off poverty, during her inspection tour of northwest China's Gansu Province which ran from April 1-3. 

Song was very pleased to see the rise in living standards of the first village on her tour in Zhang County, an impoverished county designated by the ACWF to enjoy preferential aid in poverty reduction. 

"The women-oriented poverty alleviation campaign has the potential to not only improve livelihoods, but also to spread traditional Chinese culture," Song said as she chatted with local women. 

The women's federation in Zhang County organized local women to vigorously develop the local hand-knitting industry during their free time away from their farm work and housework, offering a new way to increase their income. 

Women in Longxi County set up 77 energy-efficient greenhouses to develop the agriculture industry, with the help of a series of poverty reduction measures carried out by the local government, such as micro-loan initiatives and land transfer policies. 

"Now my family can earn additional 40,000 yuan (U.S. $6,455) every year since the greenhouses were established," said Jia Jincai when she was asked about the production, selling channels and the income by Song. 

Song urged local officials to continue to implement the small loan policy and lead local women to engage in agriculture industrialization and figure out more ways to raise their income. 

Song also focused on the campaign "Seeking the Most Beautiful Families" that was launched by the ACWF with the aim of implementing key points of the 11th National Women's Congress held in late October last year during her visits. It is worth noting that in this context, "beautiful" refers to inner beauty rather than aesthetics.

Song requested that local officials should practice socialist core values when they conduct the campaign "Seeking the Most Beautiful Families," and encouraged more women to participate in the campaign. 

"If the family lives in harmony, all affairs will prosper," said Song. "We should carry on positive family traditions and manage well our own families, and then our own efforts may build harmonious relations between neighbors and promote ethnic unity."

Song spoke highly of the poverty alleviation work conducted by Gansu officials and affirmed that women's federations at all levels across the province can carry out effective measures to help villagers shake off poverty based on specific situations. 

Song pointed out that the central government attached great importance to poverty reduction, and set new guidelines to direct the following work in impoverished rural areas in the meeting on poverty alleviation convened last year. 

"Chinese president Xi Jinping gave a series of important instructions when he visited poor villages in Gansu, and assured greater government support to help local people out of poverty," said Song. "Government officials and women's federations should try hard to stay in line with Xi's remarks in order to help locals lead a prosperous life."

Song particularly stressed that women can play a key role in shaking off poverty, saying that officials should pay closer attention to women's expectations and provide skill training to enhance women's self-employment. 

(Source: China Women's News/Translated by womenofchina.cn)