Women’s Empowerment Programs in China Empowering Migrant Women as Entrepreneurs February 20, 2014

Facts about Migrant Women Account for nearly half of the 2 million migrant workers, and one- third of the new-generation migrant workers in China. Driven by labor-intense industrialization and urbanization into factories and the lower-end service sector in cities. More and more aspire to settle down in cities and move out of factory/low skilled jobs. Face major socioeconomic obstacles, including those faced by all migrants, but are further disadvantaged due to gender. Still rural women. 2 Economic Empowerment of Migrant Women: Who Are They?

3

4

5

6

Economic Empowerment of Rural Women Facts about 60 million Left-behind Rural Women Dual responsibilities for women Agriculture-based rural livelihood being affected by industrialization Social, economic and psychological challenges to left-behind women 7

returning to the rural homes? retiring from factories, restaurants…? and/or, becoming self-employed? 8 Economic Empowerment of Migrant Women: What Are The Choices for Them?

Economic Empowerment of Women: China WEP Programs  Livelihood Support for Rural Women  Empowering Migrant Women as Entrepreneurs 9

 Difficulty in access to credit, information, skills, networking/association  Other: gender-based barriers 10 Economic Empowerment of Migrant/Rural Women: Common challenges

Economic Empowerment of Rural Women: Rural Ethnic Women Livelihoods Objective: Empower rural ethnic women to improve their livelihoods and socio-economic status.  Women’s groups, associations, and cooperatives  Micro-loans  Product and market development  Participatory community development 11

12 Women’s groups, associations, and cooperatives

13 Micro-loans

14 Product and market development

15 Participatory community development

Economic Empowerment of Rural Women Areas for (Policy) Advocacy:  Potential coalition among cooperatives (smaller and larger ones)  Stronger institutional support to farmers’ cooperatives  Gender-sensitive association (& poverty alleviation) policies  Any other? 16

Economic Empowerment of Migrant Women: Empowering Migrant Women as Entrepreneurs Objective: Increase access of migrant women to credit, more resources, information, and opportunities and empower them to improve their socio- economic status.  Micro-loans  Entrepreneurship training  Tailored mentoring  Networking and information sharing 17

 Social Innovation Fund (2007): Provided microloans to 12 migrant entrepreneurs; 100 new jobs created. Only 2 recipients were females. Rolling fund.  Research on Migrant Entrepreneurs (early 2010): Key findings including… - Strong aspiration to become entrepreneurs found amongst migrants; yet, - Low business success rate and poor growth potential - Majors obstacles found in access to credit, training, information and networking  Business Development Microloan Project (2010 ~ ): For migrant women entrepreneurs ONLY! 13 loans disbursed; 20 new jobs created. Rolling fund.  Entrepreneurship Training Program (2013 ~ ): 280 aspired migrant women to be provided with entrepreneurship courses and engaged in networking activities.  Comprehensive Entrepreneurship Support (Upcoming in 2014): Entrepreneurship Training + Microloans + One-on-one Business Mentoring + Networking Economic Empowerment of Migrant Women: Empowering Migrant Women as Entrepreneurs 18

19 Migrant women in entrepreneurship courses (2013)

Economic Empowerment of Women: Lack of networking support: No business association exists for micro business owners (esp. disadvantaged in market competition). Association of Women Entrepreneurs naturally exclude the majority of migrant women due to entry criteria. Limited institutional support is available to small association. 20

Economic Empowerment of Migrant Women: Empowering Migrant Women as Entrepreneurs Other Areas for (Policy) Advocacy:  Limited access to credit and entrepreneurship skills training: Women themselves are still reluctant to loan. Government-sponsored micro credit programs or MFIs with the mission of poverty alleviation still focus on rural beneficiaries while continue to be reluctant to lend to micro business owners who are migrants because of concerns about risks caused by high mobility. Migrants are still excluded from government-sponsored business skills trainings.  Unwelcoming urban policies ： Favorable policies to encourage entrepreneurship continue to exclude business owners who do not have a local Hukou. Restricted public services continue to disrupt stability/long-term operation of migrants’ businesses. Urbanization plans are demolishing “arrival” neighborhoods and sectors where most migrants run their businesses. 21

Economic Empowerment of Women: Empowering Migrant Women as Entrepreneurs Our questions:  How can we facilitate more effective networking that actually leads to improved business outcomes (rather than just moral support/idea sharing)? Regional dialogues on women-led business association/network building?  How to evaluate and interpret the social impact, in addition to economic impact, of economic empowerment programs on women?  How to engage proper stakeholders in policy advocacy? 22

23 Thank you! Contact info: