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.
YAN Xiuzhi, a graduate of Administrative Management at Xiangtan Campus of Hunan Branch, currently serves as the Party Secretary and Director of Jili Community Residents’ Committee, Heping Subdistrict, Xiangtan Economic and Technological Development Zone, Xiangtan City, Hunan Province.
Since she started working in the community in 2011, YAN has regarded the community as her own home and regarded the residents’ affairs as her own. As a large-scale resettlement community, it is urgent for Jili Community to solve the livelihood problems of landless farmers, which became the primary challenge for YAN. Besides that, she spearheaded the establishment of a community kindergarten, addressing children’s education needs while creating jobs for over 30 displaced residents.
To ensure stable income for more landless farmers, YAN formed an volunteer team to provide employment service. She liaised with local enterprises and Hunan University of Science and Technology, to secure job opportunities and organise “Employment and Entrepreneurship Workshops,” which helped over 1,200 displaced residents find jobs. She also collaborated with philanthropists to establish a 3-million-Chinese yuan (approximately USD 413,000) entrepreneurship fund to support community residents’ ventures.
To improve community infrastructure, YAN actively coordinated with higher authorities and leveraged personal connections to secure support for projects such as gas pipeline installation and street lighting. She also established nine volunteering teams to address community maintenance issues. Under her leadership, Jili Community earned numerous accolades, including “Provincial and National Democratic Rule of Law Demonstration Community” and “Xiangtan City Primary-Level Governance Model Community.”
Moreover, YAN spared no effort in enriching the cultural lives of the residents. She took the lead in establishing a cultural activity room and organising several performance teams, such as a yangko dance troupe (a rural Chinese folk dance) and a dragon lantern team, which attracts nearly a thousand residents to participate in. She often says, “Learning can change people’s mindsets and make our community more vibrant.” Driven by her, the learning atmosphere in the community has become increasingly strong, and the community is filled with more harmony and warmth.
Joined Planned by Department of Student Affairs and Teacher Development
Source: Hunan Open University