Beijing Women's Federation

A meeting is held between the delegation of Beijing Women's Federation and staff from relevant departments in Hotan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Beijing Women's Federation and Beijing Women & Children Development Foundation make a donation to college students in Hotan

The delegation of Beijing Women's Federation conducts an inspection tour in Hotan

Members of the delegation of Beijing Women's Federation inspect the implementation of a program in Hotan.

Members of the delegation of Beijing Women's Federation inspect the implementation of a program in Hotan

Beijing Women's Federation holds training sessions on various themes for women in Hotan

Zhao Hongwei, Member of the Leading Party Group and Vice-President of Beijing Women's Federation (BWF), headed a 12-person delegation to Hotan City, Hotan Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from August 2 to 5. The delegation made the visit to promote the implementation of a paired-assistance scheme between women in Beijing and Hotan.

Speaking at a meeting, Gulinishahan Yiming, Deputy Commissioner of Hotan Prefecture Administrative Office, expressed thanks to BWF for its consistent assistance to women in Xinjiang. She urged women’s federations in  benefited counties and cities in Hotan to thoroughly implement the spirit of Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the third central symposium on work related to Xinjiang, and urged them to fulfill their responsibilities, making contributions to social stability as well as economic development in Hotan.

In addition, she hoped that BWF will strengthen its assistance to women in Hotan in terms of entrepreneurship, employment and screening of breast and cervical cancer. An Zhongyan, a Beijing-based entrepreneur, and seven professional trainers, held exchanges with representatives of businesswomen in Hotan and cadres from women's federations of Hotan Prefecture, the 14th Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Hotan city, and Moyu and Lop counties. The discussion centered on the demands of local women.

In her speech, Zhao noted that BWF will step up its cooperation and exchanges with the women's federations in target paired-assistance areas and leverage the strengths of Beijing in culture, education, science and technology, human resources and industrial development to provide assistance in innovative ways and carry out featured and effective cooperation. She said that it is important to enhance communication about demands and focus on the feasibility of programs. BWF will also promote ethnic unity, step up efforts to aid women in Hotan in their health and entrepreneurship, and guide women to take part in rural revitalization and contribute to the development of Xinjiang.

During the meeting, BWF and the Beijing Women and Children Development Foundation (BWCDF) donated 400,000 yuan ($58,824) aiding fund of the Spring Bud Project to women college students from Hotan. Yang Ying, Secretary of the Leading Party Group and Vice-President of Hotan Prefecture Women's Federation, said that the long-term implementation of the Spring Bud Project by BWF and BWCDF has  greatly improved the lives of school girls from impoverished families and created opportunities for them to receive good education. She called on 30 recipients of the latest donations to be grateful for social assistance and remain earnest in their academic learning.

Meiheriguli Tuersunniyazi, a recipient of the donation, said that the financial assistance has greatly relieved economic burden for her family in allowing her to go to school and she would work hard in academic studies and pay back to society with actions.     

During their stay in Hotan and the 14th Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, members of the BWF delegation visited village committees, residential communities, villagers’ homes, and enterprises to learn more about the lives of women and children and the progress of the implementation of the paired-assistance initiative. Li Linghui, Secretary of the Leading Party Group and Vice-President of Xinjiang Women’s Federation, Xing Huili, deputy director of the office of the Xinjiang working committee for children and women, and Mi Jia, deputy head of the headquarters for the assistance to Xinjiang, joined the visits.

The visitors went to Hotan Museum, Hotan Mental Development Center, a silk products factory and a carpet factory in Hotan, and a pilot women’s agricultural technology development park in the 14th Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. They also visited three rural families in Lop County to  inspect the implementation of two assistance programs and learned about how local women and children benefited from the programs.

Seven members of the delegation, who are experts in handicraft making, health, e-commerce and legal services, kicked off separate training sessions for local women and faculty members of women's federations on handicrafts, marriage and family, the protection of legal rights and interests, physical health and e-commerce. Moreover, they set up 24 WeChat groups to strengthen the exchanges with trainees. The sessions helped lay a good foundation for women’s flexible employment.