Federation opens a new chapter for female writers

The aim of the China Internet Writers Village in Binjiang District is to boost the development of creative and cultural industries, especially online literature. Around 100 noted writers have signed contracts to set up studios in the village.

A third are women writers and, in a bid to protect their rights and benefits, Hangzhou Women’s Federation established a sub-federation in the village recently. The election of committee members was live-streamed, and women writers voted online.

The sub-federation is expected to fill the gap between the Internet and the real world in protecting women and will provide women writers with more services, from intellectual property protection to marriage counseling.

More than 2,000 sub-federations have been founded in villages and towns in Hangzhou over the past few years, according to the women’s federation. And more than 12,250 WeChat and QQ groups link with more than 2.9 million women in the city.

By the end of this year, sub-federations are expected to cover all villages, towns, office buildings, commercial markets and industrial parks in Hangzhou, which is one of the city’s endeavors to improve women’s social status in every facet of life.

For the past International Women’s Day, the Hangzhou Women’s Federation hosted a series of activities to help women with job seeking, entrepreneurship and health care, and enrich their cultural life.

At a special job fair on March 6 on the Cangqian campus of Hangzhou Normal University, around 500 companies offered vacancies for women graduates and sought promising startup projects.

“This year, we will further encourage women to start their own business by offering subsidies and hosting entrepreneurship competitions and counseling meetings,” said Lou Yejie, the federation’s Party secretary. “Local banks will provide promising projects with a green light and favorable rates when they apply for loans.”

Last year, the federation subsidized more than 200 women’s startup projects. It has incubated more than 5,000 business agents to link with women in rural areas.

“About 50,000 low-income women have increased income of 7,000 yuan (US$1,043) a year on average from 2016 to 2018. It gives a boost to developing the local economy,” said Lou.

Since 2009, the federation has been encouraging enterprises to employ low-income women to process materials at home. To date, their additional income has accumulated to 1 billion yuan. Some featured businesses even become calling cards for villages.

For example, 11 enterprises that produce brush pens and cashmere products have transported materials to villages in Jinfeng Town. Local women are trained to produce the finished product at home, augmenting their income and social status at the same time.

The federation has also built a bridge between a local Hangzhou company, Yeation, and embroiderers in Kaili, a city in Guizhou Province. The company cashed in on Hangzhou’s booming e-commerce and cultural and creative industries, promoting Guizhou Miao ethnic-style embroidery on its own shopping platform.

The federation initiated cooperation between Hangzhou women entrepreneurs and startups in the Enshi Tujia Autonomous Prefecture of Hubei Province. Enshi women were also invited to take part in the Yiwu International Commodities Fair, an ideal opportunity to showcase their products.

In a bid to support people in poverty-stricken areas, the federation has hosted charitable activities and raised nearly 1 million yuan for supplies for children in southwestern Guizhou Province.

Health-care services

In addition to helping women achieve social value, the federation also takes their health care into consideration.

On Women’s Day, the federation invited gynecologists from top hospitals to give lectures in villages and residential communities. A sports festival was also held to encourage women to keep fit.

Over the past few years, the federation has organized large-scale free physical examinations on cervical and breast cancers. It also established 263 breastfeeding facilities across Hangzhou last year.

“In 2019, we will expand the scale of the free screening service and add more breastfeeding rooms in public places,” said Lou. “Besides, we will explore and pilot a new mode to develop early learning and childcare in communities.”

Another new plan for is to further develop and popularize an online anti-domestic violence service platform that was founded last summer. Victims can upload evidence, call police, apply for refuge, seek legal aid and ask for psychological counseling via WeChat.

Under this initiative, police officers are required to respond immediately to domestic abuse calls, civil affairs administrations to provide refuge, health commissions to identify injuries and courts to issue writs. As initiator of this platform, the federation provides follow-up assistance and counseling.

“Since the country’s first law against domestic violence came into effect three years ago, the number of family violence cases reported has decreased in the city for the first time in 2018,” said Chen Liaomin, the federation’s vice president.

“The dropping number reflects the effect of our online platform. Therefore, we need to analyze statistics and take advantage of big data and the Internet, cutting down domestic violence further this year,” Chen added.