This article was originally post on ifad.org.As I arrived in Hunan, where otherworldly limestone hills emerge from lush greenery, I knew I was in a place unlike anywhere else in the world. Here, people are in touch with the changing seasons and the rhythms of agricultural life.But Hunan, like the rest of China, has experienced dramatic change in the past decades. On my first visit to China as Associate Vice-President, I was eager to learn how IFAD has accompanied this dynamic country on its development journey – and how we will continue to collaborate into the future.Back in 1981, IFAD was the first international institution to financially support China’s rural development. Since then, more than 20 million of its poorest and most vulnerable rural people have benefited from IFAD-supported projects.Following a period of unparalleled economic growth, China declared it had eradicated extreme poverty in 2021.Changing tack in challenging timesYet our work is not done. Climate change presents a devastating threat to rural communities in Hunan. Natural disasters, once a rare phenomenon, are increasingly common. During my visit alone, a flood at Dongting Lake breached an embankment and devastated the fields around it.When such disasters strike, rural people on the verge poverty risk backsliding. For the most vulnerable people, including ethnic minorities, this risk is even more pronounced.In the prefecture I visited, four in five people are from Tujia or Miao ethnic minorities, many of whom just recently emerged from poverty. That’s why, to protect fragile progress, rural development must be sustainable.In Fenghuang county, I met Guanmin, a member of the Miao ethnic minority and the leader of a cooperative of kiwifruit growers. Supported by the H2RDP project, he switched to red kiwifruit, which commands a much higher market price. But he’s also been careful to adapt his farm to climate change.Thanks to irrigation infrastructure and organic fertilizer provided through the project, his vines are thriving in spite of shifting weather patterns. The cooperative now has a fallback whenever rain is scarce, while the soil is healthier and more resistant to floods.  As Guanmin told me, “With the help of IFAD’s reservoir, we can have stable water supply and prevent agricultural losses even during droughts.”  His livelihood much improved, he sees a long future ahead for his farm. Guanmin told me that his 15-year-old son aspires to study agriculture and contribute to the farm's success. Rural youth for rural gainsMirroring China’s new rural revitalization strategy, the H2RDP project creates employment opportunities so young people remain in or return to rural areas.One of these young people is Huaqing. He migrated to Chongqing city after graduating high school. But in 2022, Huaqing decided to return to Sanzao Village. With a grant and training from H2RDP, he set up 150 beehives and began a thriving beekeeping business.Now 27 years old, Huaqing has supplied bees and given beekeeping training to over 40 villagers. Thanks to this entrepreneurial and passionate young person, many others in his community can earn an income from honey and be part of China’s rural transformation. A green development agendaI met countless IFAD project participants who are achieving sustainable change. Yet, despite living on the frontlines of climate change, they are often left out of global conversations about climate adaptation and mitigation.That’s why IFAD’s new agreement with the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance is so important. Together, we will improve cross-border connectivity, knowledge sharing and capacity building for green development, opening an important channel for climate finance to reach those most in need. Sharing sustainable successChina's rural transformation over the last forty years has been extraordinary – and the China-IFAD SSTC (South-South Triangular Co-operation) Facility is helping other countries make similar progress. Since 2018, the facility has shared local knowledge and proven solutions from China and the Global South with 38 developing countries – and counting.Projects focus on value chain development, climate adaptation and agricultural productivity. For example, a projectsupported by the Facility and implemented by the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization improved the bamboo value chain in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana and Madagascar. It did so by developing a national bamboo strategy and providing technical assistance.The Facility is just one of many opportunities to partner with China on SSTC – and that’s why IFAD is strengthening our general SSTC programme around the world.Tackling shared challenges together is exactly the type of collaboration we need to achieve sustainable development for all. And it's why, despite immense global challenges, my time in Hunan gave me hope that a better and more sustainable future for our planet's rural people is possible.

Beijing, China — On 19 July, 30 communication professionals representing 13 United Nations (UN) agencies, funds and programmes in China, joined a capacity development session on “Gender-Responsive Communications” organized by UN Women in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) in China.Delivered by Diego De La Rosa, Communications Specialist for UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the session emphasized the importance of integrating gender considerations into all forms of communication. It referenced significant milestones in gender equality, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which set the foundation for global efforts toward gender equality and women's empowerment.Key principles highlighted in the presentation include featuring women in communications, ensuring equal representation and respectful portrayal of all genders, and challenging gender stereotypes. It advocates for the use of gender-sensitive language, avoiding stereotypes and sexist expressions, and promoting equal visibility for women and men in various roles, especially leadership positions. The presentation also stressed the importance of considering multiple aspects of diversity, such as socio-economic background, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation, in communication materials."Integrating gender responsiveness into our communications is not just an option; it is a necessity for achieving true equality and justice. Today’s capacity development session shows how the UN Communications Group in China is striving to be fit for purpose, and gender-responsive throughout our work," said Louise Xi Li, Head of Communications, UN RCO China.Wenting Zhao, UN Women China Communications Specialist, said: "By making our communications gender-responsive, we amplify the voices of women and girls, challenge stereotypes, and pave the way for a more equitable future. This is a crucial step toward achieving gender equality and empowering all individuals." The session on “Gender-Responsive Communications” was part of a capacity development mission conducted by UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific to China. It also included a session on storytelling and social media for UN Women China staff and a briefing session for members of the media, public relations agencies and cultural institutions, focusing on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the UN Women global campaign on the Paris 2024 Olympics. For more information, please contact:Zhao Wenting
Communications Specialist
UN Women ChinaE-mail: wenting.zhao@unwomen.org

Digital technology has immense transformative potential. Just think of the possibilities unlocked by the click of a mouse or a tap on a screen: banking, education, social media and much more.But around the world, rural women have disproportionately limited access to this technology. This pervasive digital divide is part of the reason education and economic independence remain out of reach for many women.Investing in women's digital empowerment and closing this divide can foster prosperity not just for them, but for entire communities. These three remarkable rural women revitalizing their villages in central China’s picturesque Hunan Province are living proof of this.Building a thriving rural businessThirty-five-year-old Ma Qinyan once pursued a career as an architectural designer in the southeastern city of Shenzhen. But she always harboured a desire to contribute to the prosperity of her native village in Hunan.Spotting a business opportunity in her region’s renowned spicy cuisine, Qinyan made the bold decision to return to her rural roots and start a chili sauce business. At first, her customer base was smaller than she had hoped.That's when she learned about Women Up, a training initiative supported by IFAD and the Youcheng Foundation focused on rural women's economic empowerment. Qinyan decided to take a chance and signed up for classes in digital literacy and entrepreneurship.Armed with new skills, she started using e-commerce and livestreaming to promote her products. Now her business is thriving – and by passing on what she has learned to her fellow villagers, she’s cultivating a new generation of digitally empowered rural women."I refuse to let my villagers down. I want to be a beacon of hope for them," says Qinyan. Empowering future generationsThe Women Up initiative was part of the broader Hunan Rural Revitalization Demonstration Project, which is increasing economic resilience across the province. In particular, the project aims to expand opportunities for rural youth and women.Zhang Jinyou knows all too well what it feels like to lack these. Born into a difficult financial situation exacerbated by her mother's disability, Jinyou eventually dropped out of high school to support her family.Now a 41-year-old mother of two, she’s determined to break the cycle of hardship that once defined her life.Like Qinyan, Jinyou participated in Women Up’s training and gained a variety of digital skills, including broadcasting and online finance. Her sense of hope and purpose renewed, she decided to begin a career in e-commerce.Today, Jinyou doesn’t just sell chili peppers and grapes for a local company via livestreaming – she is also in the process of establishing her own e-commerce business. Her children are in school and have a bright future ahead of them in an economically revitalized village.“E-commerce was a daunting challenge. But this training reignited my optimism and provided me with the resilience to persevere,” says Jinyou. Age is just a numberMany people associate digital technology and social media with younger generations. Long Yuan'ai is proving them wrong.Yuan’ai, 61, had already retired from her job at a local insurance company when she came across Women Up. But she didn’t let her age stop her from taking part – instead, she jumped at the opportunity to learn a new set of skills.Today, Yuan’ai is using her newfound digital literacy to support a career in e-commerce. She’s even beating young users of Douyin – the equivalent of TikTok in China – at their own game.Drawing on her expertise in kiwi farming, she launched an agriculture-themed Douyin page that gained thousands of followers in just two months. Now the kiwi farms of Hunan are reaching screens across China, boosting sales and uplifting the community she loves."For me, age is never an excuse to halt progress," says Yuan'ai. Gender inequality is a major obstacle to sustainable, inclusive rural development. That's why IFAD works across the world to eliminate it in all its forms – and in our interconnected modern world, it is essential that this include the digital divide.In rural China, Qinyan, Jinyou and Yuan’ai are demonstrating what this looks like: digitally empowered women of all ages, forging their own paths and spearheading their communities’ development.This story was originally published by IFAD China