In order to recognise outstanding women individuals, set examples for the others, and inspire women to cultivate self-respect, confidence, independence, and self-reliance, as well as to encourage them to forge ahead on a new journey and contribute to the new era by actively participating in the modernization of China, the All-China Women's Federation recently held a commemorative event for International Women's Day (March 8th) and an Awards Ceremony in Beijing.
A total of 15 students or graduates from the Open University of China (OUC) system were awarded the “National March 8th Red-Banner Holders”. Let us listen to the inspiring stories behind them.
LI Xueqin, a graduate majoring in Administrative Management at Huachuan Open College, Heilongjiang Branch, currently serves as the head of the Huachuan Little Friends Agricultural Products Cooperative.
With her perseverance and wisdom, LI has become a trailblazer in rural economic development, leading her community to prosperity. She established a cooperative, creating a comprehensive industrial chain for the cultivation, production, and sales of chilli peppers. By introducing a variety of chilli sauce flavours, she helped to increase the income of impoverished households. In 2019, the cooperative suffered a devastating fire; but with the support of her fellow villagers and the government, LI reignited her hope and rebuilt the cooperative. Under the guidance of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the quality of the chilli improved significantly, and currently hundreds of thousands of bottles of handmade chilli sauce could be sold annually. Additionally, the cooperative has introduced other specialty agricultural products such as rice, millet, and sticky bean buns, all handmade, achieving new breakthroughs in sales.
"A single flower blooming does not make spring; only when a hundred flowers bloom together can the garden be filled with the vibrancy and life" LI wishes to lead her fellow women villagers in achieving their dreams of prosperity. Seizing the opportunity, she formed a live-streaming team comprising 8 female hosts and 10 female sales representatives Considering that many women have free time during the winter, LI partnered with Meituan Youxuan (online community-based group-buying platform) to supply sticky bean bun, Tangyuan (traditional Chinese glutinous rice balls often enjoyed during the Lantern Festival), and Qiegao (traditional Chinese sticky rice cake). As orders poured in, the women’s enthusiasm soared. Every winter, the cooperative becomes a hive of activity, with each household earning an additional RMB10,000 yuan (approximately USD1,382) or more during the season. Since 2017, the cooperative has created over 2,000 job opportunities, including 20 long-term positions and 500 temporary jobs, generating cumulative additional income of over RMB1 million yuan (approximately USD138, 200).
Joint Planned by Department of Students Affairs and Teacher Development
Source: Jiamusi Women’s Federation, Women in Qinghai,
Organisation Department of Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Committee