ACWF President Stresses Women's Wisdom and Strength in Anti-Epidemic Battle and Poverty Relief

Shen Yueyue (2nd, R), President of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), and Huang Xiaowei (3rd, L), Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, speak with female workers who produce protective equipment in a workshop of the Eve Group during an inspection tour in Beijing on March 24. [For Women of China]

Shen Yueyue, President of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), and Huang Xiaowei, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, made an inspection tour in Beijing on March 24 to learn about the efforts made by local female entrepreneurs in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), their contributions to the poverty alleviation work, and the work resumption of domestic workers in the women's housekeeping service companies.

Shen stressed that based on the changes of the situation of the epidemic prevention and control work, more efforts should be made to help resolve labor shortages confronting the hand-knitting and housekeeping service industries known for their unique advantages in women-oriented employment and poverty relief. Targeted measures should be taken to help impoverished women shake off poverty in a timely and reliable manner, and women should contribute their own wisdom and strength to overcome the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic and to clinch a complete victory in the fight against poverty.

Shen and Huang inspected a production base for anti-epidemic emergency supplies of Eve Group, a leading domestic fashion and garment firm in Beijing. Shen spoke highly of the enterprise's speedy transformation of six production lines and aseptic purification workshops to make them capable of manufacturing isolation gowns and protective suits. She talked with Xia Hua, president of Eve Group, about the latest production of protective equipment and the work conditions of its employees.

"We will continue producing protective equipment as long as our country needs them. For me, these days are the most difficult but fulfilling time in my 25-year long business. Relevant national departments, the Beijing Municipality Committee of the Communist Party of China and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality have offered great support to us. The women's federation helped mobilize and organize women to join in manufacturing the protective equipment," Xia said.

Xia also introduced her endeavors to eradicate poverty through cultivating impoverished women with embroidery skills, and organizing 50-plus fairs in mountainous regions. Amid the COVID-19 epidemic, Xia strengthened the organization of online vocational training, cultivated embroiderers with influence on the Internet, and improved sales models for embroidery products in a bid to ensure stable income of impoverished women.

Shen commended Xia's fulfillment of corporate social responsibility and her actions as a recipient of the honorary title of the National March 8th Red-banner Holder. She urged Xia to lead more entrepreneurs to aid more impoverished women based on the All-China Women's Hand-knitting Association, attract more female college graduates to start their own businesses featuring embroidery and other crafts, and to turn traditional crafts into fashionable commodities, so as to help women obtain steady income through the crafts, especially those in regions in deep poverty and 52 poverty-stricken counties.

Shen emphasized that it was of great significance to unite the strength of women through the roles of women's federations. The women's federations are expected to give full play to their unique advantages, continue strengthening the organization of and service for women in entrepreneurship and employment, help solve their difficulties pertaining to policy support and epidemic prevention materials, build bridges between enterprises, employees and markets, and tell good stories of women's poverty alleviation efforts, so as to help rural women escape poverty and increase income while making all-out efforts to serve them.

Shen then visited the Beijing Sanba Housekeeping Service Center, where she talked with domestic workers about difficulties facing them and what kinds of assistance local women's federations could offer to them against the backdrop of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Learning that many housekeeping service companies have been confronted with a labor shortage caused by epidemic-induced obstacles for their employees to return to their posts, Shen noted that efforts should be strengthened to adjust priorities and measures to help the companies solve their operation difficulties amid the outbreak in accordance with the epidemic prevention and control work deployed by the local government. While integrating housekeeping services with poverty reduction, more employment opportunities in the housekeeping service sector should be created in a move to help more poverty-stricken women get jobs and increase their income.

Services of scientific preventive measures and psychological counseling should be provided to on-duty domestic workers, Shen said, adding that those stranded at hometown should be organized to provide housekeeping services based on the local need of caring for frontline medical workers, looking after the elderly people and young children and poverty alleviation. Such service can not only bring care to frontline medics, their families and the whole society, but also boost the income of domestic workers.

Noting that all-out efforts should be made to promote the quality and market capacity of the women's housekeeping services, Shen called on the companies to do the work of online training well, help domestic workers increase professional skills, and fully prepare for the rising demand of housekeeping services in the post-epidemic period. Furthermore, the leading role of women's housekeeping brands should be given full play and targeted support for 52 poverty-stricken counties should be increased. Through meeting public demand for looking after the elderly and raising children as well as helping women get jobs and escape poverty, the housekeeping service sector in the public interest will bear more fruits.

Shen Yueyue (2nd, L), President of the ACWF, listens to a report on production of protective equipment in Eve Group during the inspection tour on March 24. [For Women of China]

Shen Yueyue, President of the ACWF, and Huang Xiaowei, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, attend a meeting with workers from the Beijing Sanba Housekeeping Service Center during the inspection tour in Beijing on March 24. [For Women of China]

(Women of China)