Editor's Note
In his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, held in Beijing on October 13, 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a series of measures China will take, in the next five years, to further support the global cause of women. One of the measures is: China will launch 1,000 "small and beautiful" livelihood programs with Chinese assistance that take women and girls as priority beneficiaries. In recent years, numerous "small and beautiful" programs launched by China have taken root worldwide, playing a significant role in advancing economic and social progress in various countries, and in enhancing people-to-people connectivity.
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| [Video provided by Hunan Women's Federation and edited by Pei Zhaoyue] |
One photo no doubt caught the attention of spectators, from home and abroad, during an exhibition showcasing China's progress in digital and intelligent empowerment for women and girls. The exhibition, which opened in Beijing in October 2025, was a side event of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women (GLMW).
The photo shows an image of a paddy rice field in the Republic of Madagascar. Several African women hold rice seedlings as they communicate with a Chinese delegation from Hunan Women's Federation, the women's federation of central China's Hunan Province. The photo records the "small and beautiful" initiative, launched in June 2025, named "African Mothers' New Farms." By participating in China-Africa agricultural cooperation through this sustainable livelihood program, African women are being empowered to achieve all-round development.
'Sow a Seed' to Benefit Women's Development
In addition to the photo, displayed on GLMW's sidelines, a video about African Mothers' New Farms was also showcased. The video recorded achievements since the program's launch, which won applause from delegates who attended GLMW.
In collaboration with government departments, universities, academic institutes, enterprises and social organizations, Hunan Women's Federation has supported the efforts of beneficiaries of African Mothers' New Farms to become "new farmers" in Africa.
The African women not only increased their families' incomes, they also learned from China's successful poverty reduction practice so they could boost women's all-round development in Africa.
In 2021, China declared that it had eradicated extreme poverty, a remarkable achievement following decades of unremitting efforts by the world's most populous country. Having lifted 800 million people out of poverty, the country realized the poverty reduction goal set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a decade in advance.
China's success proves women's in-depth participation in agricultural production plays a vital role in increasing families' incomes, improving children's health, and eliminating both poverty and hunger.
In October and November 2023, Hunan Women's Federation organized a delegation to visit six African countries — Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania. The purpose of the visit was to form cooperation in agricultural production, business and trade, and culture and education, to benefit African women. Based on the friendly exchanges, African Mothers' New Farms was eventually launched.
"The keynote address by Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, during GLMW's opening ceremony, charted a course for us to continue working on future development for African Mothers' New Farms," says Yang Lanying, President of Hunan Women's Federation.
"We will focus on poverty reduction for African mothers, empowerment for African women and care for African families. We will take concrete measures, such as increasing crop yields, improving quality of the agricultural industry, promoting farm machinery and skills, providing professional training, teaching the Chinese language, helping women become role models, spreading family and moral virtues, and enhancing China-Africa children's communications, as we build this program into a brand of 'small and beautiful' livelihood program. By empowering African women in agricultural production, their rights in families and society will be better protected. We hope to 'sow a seed' of poverty reduction and gender equality, which will benefit women's all-round development in Africa," Yang adds.
Writing Chapter of Friendship
A symposium, attended by Chinese and Kenyan entrepreneurs, was held in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, on September 10, 2025. During that event, Li Hongmei, an entrepreneur from Hunan, also a National March 8th Red-Banner Holder of China, established her workshop in Kenya. That marked the first workshop of a National March 8th Red-Banner Holder from China's Hunan Province was established overseas.
"My company is working hard to expand our market in Africa. Meanwhile, we hope to do our part to help African women find jobs. So, we signed onto African Mothers' New Farms to better empower women and families in Africa through this program," Li said. She added she planned to establish more factories and warehouses in Africa, to provide employment to local women.
African Mothers' New Farms has helped several African countries raise their yields of cassava, paddy rice, herbs and crude rubber. Through the cooperation formed under the program, Chinese academic institutes and agricultural enterprises have provided model planting guidance, training in agricultural techniques, and entrepreneurship and employment services, all to cultivate diligent African women so they can become "new farmers."
Efforts have been successful to date. "By making full use of good-quality crops' seeds, and by upgrading planting techniques, African women have been able to greatly increase the yields on their farms. In addition to meeting their families' needs, the women have gained extra products, which they can sell and/or process. More women are being provided with jobs. During training sessions, women can improve their education," says Yu Wenlong, an associate professor with Hunan University of Finance and Economics. African Mothers' New Farms will be like other livelihood programs, which have benefitted women's development under the Belt and Road cooperation, Yu continues, adding the program will contribute to the promotion of women's development globally.
On October 29, 2025, a China-Africa children's friendly communication event was held in a primary school in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province. Pictures, drawn by African children, were presented, as gifts, to students in the school.
By enhancing communications among children, it is hoped younger generations in China and Africa will continue writing a new chapter of friendship and people-to-people connectivity. African Mothers' New Farms, a program designed to last three years, is becoming deeply rooted in Africa.
Photos from Hunan Women's Federation
(Women of China English Monthly March 2026)
Editor: Wang Shasha
