Tibetan women's lives improved through getting to work
In the past five years, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has collected over 20 million yuan (2.9 million US dollars) for all kinds of employment training for women, and offered a total of more than 560 training sessions to help more than 20 thousand impoverished women to become entrepreneurs or get work.
In recent years, women have enjoyed policies such as financial subsidy loans for new businesses, free health screenings for two types of cancers, congenital heart diseases and hydatid disease, bonuses for pregnant women who choose hospital births, focused care for orphans and elderly people and women's rights protection in village land rights registration, etc. in Tibet.
"We're very happy to see how women have enjoyed the fruits of development as Tibet developed, they have played a main role, their rights are protected, and their lives have improved." commented a government leader. Women across all sectors of Tibet are leading independent lives with confidence and self-respect, they're true owners of their lives, they're involved in all kinds of work across society, and they are indispensable.
"In Tibet, various policies always value women," said Drolma, the founder of the Tibet Ta Xi Co. and an entrepreneur. A few years ago, she gave up the great pay and benefits of a listed company and led a group of like-minded women in founding their own business.
She told the reporter that she is the recipient of many beneficial policies from the country and the autonomous region. As a female entrepreneur, she always thinks how to develop related women-focused programs when a new policy is introduced.
"To think proactively is now my habit," she said.
"Women entrepreneurs are more cautious in starting businesses, and this makes them more successful," said Droloma.
In recent years, Tibetan women's exchange with the outside world has expanded, they have had more studying and exchange opportunities with surrounding areas, inland China, and neighboring countries.
The All-China Women's Federation of Tibet Autonomous Region has actively answered the call of "Belt and Road" Initiative by increasing collaborations with nearby countries, organizing women entrepreneurs to visit Nepal, building trading platform for ethnic handicrafts, telling stories of Tibetan women entrepreneurs, and promoting the development of Chinese women. There have been 60 women's representatives who have visited Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan to study, and increased exchanges with Hong Kong and Macau-based women's groups. The federation has also sent its officials to Shanghai, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Hubei, Sichuan, and other provinces for sharing experiences, improving communication and exchanges among women's groups in China.
In recent years, Tibetan women's cause has improved in all areas, with women's employment rate at more than 40%, more equal education among the genders, lowered mortality rate for pregnant women of 102 in 100 thousand, lowered mortality rate for children under five-years-old of 13.7%. More women have participated in politics than ever before, more women are involved in social insurance programs, and women in poverty has drastically reduced in number, and women's lives have improved greatly.