"What Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined about Chinese women’s development at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, we have seen and felt firsthand in Zhejiang." This was shared by Atnabon Dejene Hirko, a Gender Expert from the Urban and Housing Development Bureau of Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia, following her visit to Zhejiang.

From October 15 to 18, 23 participants of the Seminar for Women Politicians from Developing Countries, including Atnabon Dejene Hirkco, came to Zhejiang right after attending the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing for a firsthand experience on the development and practice of China's women and children's cause at the grassroots level in the new era. What exactly did they see? And what insights did they gain?

These participants are officials and experts engaged in women's affairs and gender equality, hailing from nine countries including Egypt, Kenya, and Nigeria. At the invitation of the All-China Women's Federation(ACWF) and the Ministry of Commerce, they attended the Seminar for Women Politicians from Developing Countries, with most members visiting China for the first time.

Amidst global changes of a magnitude unseen in a century, the international community seeks to understand not only the "what" of China, but also its "why".

Seminars for Women Politicians from Developing Countries serve as one of the platforms for exchanges between China and the world. Since 2013, the ACWF and other departments have been regularly inviting women officials from developing countries to participate in training programs in China. These programs are designed to enhance their capabilities in public, political and economic engagement, with field-based teaching at the grassroots level a distinctive feature. Zhejiang has been a popular teaching site since the initiative's inception. According to statistics, the Zhejiang Women's Federation has undertaken 28 sessions of the ACWF's training programs for female officials from developing countries, involving nearly 900 participants from over 70 countries and regions.

Zhejiang was designated as one of the only two field teaching sites nationwide for the follow-up seminar to the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Consequently, the participants headed to Zhejiang right after the Meeting concluded.

Why Zhejiang? "Zhejiang is building a demonstration zone for common prosperity through high-quality development, and many of its initiatives have taken the lead as models ," pointed out Li Ying, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of China Women's University, who led the delegation. "Zhejiang is where General Secretary Xi Jinping once worked, and it is an important birthplace of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. For over 20 years, guided by the Double-Eight Strategy mapped out by Xi, Zhejiang has been a pioneer in exploring vivid practices of Chinese modernization at the provincial level. For a deep understanding of the development of women's cause in China, Zhejiang is undoubtedly an 'Important Showcase'." She also noted.

A nation's modernization is inseparable from the modernization of its women. In the 1950s, Qianhe Village in Jiande took the lead in China in implementing equal pay for equal work, giving birth to the Qianhe Women's Spirit characterized by self-reliance, courage to think and act, unity and collaboration, hard work and entrepreneurship. This spirit is a vital source of the idea that "Women hold up half the sky".

Today, Zhejiang leads the country in female entrepreneurship density, with women entrepreneurs accounting for 37% of the total in the digital economy. Women's education levels have improved significantly, with female students accounting for over half of the total enrollment in higher education institutions…The brilliance of "Her Power" blossoming across Zhejiang is a vivid microcosm of the flourishing development of women’s cause   in China.

The seminar's four-day study tour in Zhejiang focused on themes such as digital empowerment for women, child-friendly initiatives, common prosperity, and rural revitalization. Both the content and the specific sites visited were rich with Zhejiang characteristics.

Through site visits to Ant Group, Alibaba's global headquarters, and Merit Interactive, the seminar participants gained firsthand insight into how digital technology is injecting new momentum into women’s entrepreneurship, employment and capability building. In the wave of the digital economy, women are not only present but have become a crucial force driving change.

The Cyber Mulan Program has benefited millions of disadvantaged women through digital public welfare insurance and helped ten thousand women in underdeveloped regions realize their employment dreams via digital literacy empowerment. Mutsa noted that the continuous improvement of digital infrastructure has brought unprecedented opportunities for women, yet many still need to enhance their knowledge of science and technology. She believed that improving women's digital literacy and bridging the digital gender gap is a direction requiring ongoing global effort, and China, specifically Zhejiang, provides an excellent model.

Women's Common Prosperity Workshop is a prosperity-enhancing program jointly launched by the Zhejiang Women's Federation and multiple departments. It provides skills training to enable women to start businesses and increase income right at their doorsteps, thereby promoting common prosperity. At the Niangxin Women's Common Prosperity Workshop in Xixi National Wetland Park, the seminar participants learned to make traditional frog buttons, also known as Chinese knot buttons, under the guidance of female inheritors of intangible cultural heritage. While appreciating the cultural heritage, they were even more amazed to learn that these workshops also help boost income.

The participants also visited Lingfeng Central Kindergarten   and Yucun Village in Anji County, experiencing firsthand the vivid practices of child-friendly initiative and the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.Boipelo Ireen Tshekiso, Chief Economist of the North-East District Council in Botswana, was particularly impressed by Yucun's clean and beautiful rural environment. Upon learning that the village was the first in the county to pilot the Shared Open Courtyard Economy project and develop new forms of courtyard economy, she expressed deep admiration for the local women's achievements: "We must leverage the unique role of women in families and society to contribute to a green and sustainable development."

Throughout the four-day trip in Zhejiang, the participants kept raising their phones to caputure moments. "We follow China's progress closely and rejoice in its achievements," said Sherweet Ibraheem Mostafa Attia, General Manager of the National Council for Women of Egypt. She added that many of Zhejiang's innovative approaches to women's development were worth learning from and that she would bring these valuable experiences back to her own country.

“On the new journey of Chinese modernization, every woman is a star.” The statement by President Xi Jinping at the Global Women's Meeting is still fresh in the minds of the participants. The hands-on experiences in Zhejiang deepened their understanding of these words, strengthening their belief that by accelerating the all-round development of women, we can jointly create a brighter future for humanity.