What They Say: Women in Fight Against Poverty

Editor's note: Five women from across China spoke about their personal experiences and their involvement in China's sweeping antipoverty drive at an event in Beijing on Tuesday organized by the State Council Information Office.

When I first went to the village, many people did not understand me and thought, "what can such a young girl do?" When I heard them talk about me like this, I felt very hurt. But I refused to concede defeat. After all, I hadn't done anything. Later, I helped them solve their daily affairs, including building roads and ditches. By doing this, I feel that when we sincerely think for the villagers, care for them, understand them and work for them, they will recognize and trust you from the bottom of their hearts.

We women all want to learn more, take the initiative to communicate, learn to be independent and change our thinking. We used to plant and sell in the traditional way, picking fruit during the day and bringing them to the big wholesale market at night. Farmers were very passive. That has changed with the emergence of the internet. I hope to use the internet to bring agricultural products out of the mountains and sell them to the whole country.

Women can hold up half the sky in a family, but on the road to poverty alleviation, I think women can hold up more than half the sky. They plant in the family garden, shovel the soil and pull grass. There are chickens, ducks and geese at home for us to feed, and handicrafts such as embroidery to make. I think many things rely on female family members for improvement at home.

Let me tell you about the changes in our village. In the past, villagers traveled 10 kilometers to a nearby market with grass and vegetables to sell. The marketplace was very small. All goods needed to be carried on their backs and shoulders because of poor road conditions. Now that President Xi Jinping has put forward the policy of targeted poverty alleviation, our roads have been fixed and widened, and now our villagers can take buses to markets.

My experience in the past few years has enabled me to see the power of love and support. Life was really difficult at that time. Village officials and women's federation comrades came to my home many times to enlighten me, give me ideas, arrange loans and encourage me to participate in training sessions.

(Source: China Daily)