Poverty Alleviation of All China Women’s Federation

　　【Overview】  In 2009, All China Women’s Federation implemented LGOP’s poverty alleviation plan, exerted the advantages of women’s federations, reinforced the support to the development of women in old revolutionary bases, minority areas, frontier areas and impoverished through policies, project support, fund support, labor transfer, physical checkup and fixed-point support, and contributed to the economic & social development and progress of women and children affairs in impoverished areas.

　　【Financial interest subsidy policies for women’s micro guarantee loans】  To solve the fund bottleneck in the women’s development of production, in August 2009, All China Women’s Federation, with Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Human Resources & Social Security and People’s Bank of China, constituted and issued “Circular Concerning Improving Financial Interest Subsidy Policies for Micro Guarantee Loan to Promote Women’s Venture and employment” (Cai Jin No. [2009] 72). All China Women’s Federation provided special support to the loan coverage and line of women, especially impoverished women, and the state’ provided subsidy for all interests. After the policies were released, all local organizations paid much attention and promoted the execution actively. In October, Jaingxi was the first to launch, held the promotion conference and issued loans of 1.58 million Yuan in the first bath; Jiangsu, as a local interest subsidy province, coordinated and obtained loan fund of 10 million Yuan in the first bath; Gansu and Ningxia, etc, launched the program, confirmed pilot points and issued loans. Micro guarantee loan policies supported impoverished women’s development of production and income increase.

　　【Examination project of women’s “2 cancers” (cervical cancer and breast cancer)】  In 2009, spurred by All China Women’s Federation, “2 cancers” examination was put among the 6 important public health service items of the medical reform plan. In June, All China Women’s Federation and Ministry of Health jointly issued “Circular Concerning Issuing ‘Rural Women’s “2 Cancers” Examination Management Plan’” (Wei Fu She No. [2009] 61). In August, All China Women’s Federation issued “Circular Concerning Women’s Federations’ Organization and Implementation of ‘Rural Women’s “2 Cancers” Examination Management Plan’” (Fu Zi No.  [2009] 23). The plan, through three year’s pilot projects, propaganda, health education and checkup, etc, realizes the examination of rural women’s “two cancers”, including examination of 10 million rural women’s cervical cancer in 221 counties in 31 provinces/ autonomous regions /municipalities and examination of 1.2 million rural women’s breast cancer in 200 counties, to improve the early diagnosis & treatment rates of “2 cancers”, and to reduce mortality rates.

【Post-disaster reconstruction partner assistance conference】  In April 2009, All China Women’s Federation held post-disaster reconstruction partner assistance conference in Chengdu, Sichuan. Main leaders of women’s federations in 19 partner assistance provinces/cities, as well as chairmen of women’s federations Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, 21 cities (prefectures) in Sichuan and 19 aided counties, attended the conference. At the conference, All China Women’s Federation, women’s federations of partner assistance provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities, charity enterprises and people donated 336.6 million Yuan to the disaster areas for reconstruction of the disaster areas, women’s skill training, psychological aid, children’s schooling, labor employment and women’s health census, etc. The conference issued “Advice on Women’s Federation’s Partner Assistance to the Reconstruction after Earthquake” (Fu Ting Zi No. [2009] 8) to emphasize 6 support measures based on “Women’s Home Rebuilding Plan in 1000 Villages”. Stress was put on fund support, training, project aid, support to venture and employment, women and children’s health, protection of women and children’s rights, to help impoverished women in disaster areas to get confidence, develop production and rebuild their home.

　　【Fulfillment of “March 8th Green Project”】  In 2009, All China Women’s Federation invested special funds of 1.16 million Yuan into “Dual Study and Competition” and 1.65 million Yuan into “March 8th Green Project” in 10 provinces/autonomous regions in the west to support women’s development of production, employment, venture, income increase and prosperity in impoverished areas.

1. Execute “Health Express for Mothers” project. Nearly 400 trains went to 13 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the central area and the west, including Sichuan, Xinjiang and Tibet, etc, and the project covered nearly 400 impoverished counties in the central area and the west.

2. Execute micro circulating poverty alleviation project for mothers. In 2009, All China Women’s Federation allocated special poverty alleviation funds of 23.45 million Yuan, mainly to aid impoverished women through training and technical instruction, and the project assisted impoverished families to develop planting, cultivation and processing industry.

3. Execute “Comfortable Housing Project for Mothers in Disaster Areas”. After disaster, women in affected areas needed reconstruction badly. All China Women’s Federation invested nearly 20 million Yuan to solve women’s housings in disaster areas.

4. Execute “Spring Buds Program”. With support from all parties of the society, in 2009, 61 Spring Buds schools were built and over 22,000 Spring Buds students were subsidized.

　　【“Triple Going to the Countryside” event】  In 2009, All China Women’s Federation regarded the women and children in earthquake disaster areas and old revolutionary bases as stressed targets of the “Triple Going to the Countryside” event. In the event, funds, project and materials of 150 million Yuan were delivered to earthquake disaster areas in Sichuan and Shaanxi, old revolutionary bases and impoverished mountain areas in Fujian, Hebei and Beijing, including donation of “Safe Home” schools for orphans in earthquake disaster areas, 33 permanent Spring Buds primary schools; “Water Cellars for Mothers” and micro loan poverty alleviation projects were continued; practical technique and agricultural/forestry science and technology training projects for rural women; common drug and health knowledge training projects for rural women and children; China Children and Teenagers’ Fund, China Women’s Development Foundation and China Education Development Foundation respectively donated living grants for disabled children, impoverished women and in disaster areas and old revolutionary bases, as well as especially impoverished female teachers in disaster areas.

　　【Expectation of poverty alleviation in 2010】  In 2010, according to the overall strategy of building a socialist harmonious society and poverty alleviation & development of the central party committee and the State Council, All China Women’s Federation will coordinate with LGOP in the poverty alleviation and development in the new area, focus on living issues, help rural women in poverty-stricken areas to increase their income with stress, centralize social forces, do concrete and nice jobs for women and children in poor areas, further reinforce the support to impoverished areas, and boost the sustainable development of economy and society in poverty-stricken areas.

1. Promote poverty alleviation in micro credit. In 2010, All China Women’s Federation will do its best to promote the implementation of financial interest subsidy policies for micro guarantee loans, strive to make breakthroughs in loan coverage, loan line, loan organizations, award and supplement systems, and help women’s venture, employment and prosperity. At the beginning of 2010, All China Women’s Federation will hold training seminars for backbone cadres of provincial women’s federations on micro guarantee loans for women, with stress on cadres of women’s federations in impoverished areas, help them to grasp, use and implement the policies effectively, get familiar with project operation flow, and improve project execution ability and level. In the second half of 2010, All China Women’s Federation will hold nationwide women’s micro guarantee loan project experience exchange conference to popularize local practice & experience, and promote women’s federation’s poverty alleviation in micro credit.

2. Examination of women’s “2 cancers”. Go on with examination of women’s “2 cancers”, with stress on impoverished women in impoverished areas. Through training, propaganda, inspection and project promotion conference, assure impoverished women’s permanent access to the service and improve the health of women in impoverished areas.

3. Go on with women education and training. Execute “5123” training plan (SYB venture training for 50,000 women in the 11th Five-Year Plan; skill training for 10000 rural female brokers; training for 20,000 backbone women of transferred employment; business training for women’s federation cadres and backbone cadres engaged women and children’s affairs in over 3,000 prefecture-level counties (cities) across China). Reinforce training of women’s federation cadres, female prosperity leaders through technology, female brokers and female venture leaders in stricken areas with stress, hold special training seminars with LGOP; go on with education with record of formal schooling and venture training, work on some rural women’s schools and training demonstration bases.

4. Reinforce project support and improve the living and production conditions of women and children in impoverished areas. Support poor women to participate in the new countryside construction with the special funds for “Dual Study and Competition” and “March 8th Green Project” of All China Women’s Federation, develop production and increase income; develop donation channels, go on with “Water Cellars for Mothers”, “Health Express for Mothers”, “Spring Buds Program”, “Safety Program” and other projects in the west and enlarge the coverage of the projects in impoverished areas.

　　(Poverty Alleviation Office, All China Women’s Federation)