Dongguan:China is enhancing digital skills training and fostering international cooperation to assist women from developing countries in participating in the digital economy, aiming to reduce the gender digital divide.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, these efforts encompass two training programs focused on artificial intelligence, digital entrepreneurship, and technology empowerment. These programs brought together 51 women from 10 countries in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, in June 2026.
These initiatives align with statements made by Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping and a UNESCO special envoy for girls' and women's education. She has advocated for stronger vocational training and broader access to digital and intelligent education, as emphasized during the 2026 UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education award ceremony.
Peng highlighted that China's application of AI in education has improved educational quality and advanced gender equality, offering a model that could be shared with countries in the Global South.
The economic benefits of increased digital participation by women are considerable. Research by the International Finance Corporation suggests that boosting women's involvement in e-commerce markets in Africa and Southeast Asia could generate over US$300 billion in revenue from 2025 to 2030.
In China, 14,147 women earned vocational skills certificates as AI trainers in 2024, making up 42.3% of the annual total. Women also constitute more than half of entrepreneurs in the Chinese internet sector and about one-third of the workforce in emerging fields like digital trade, e-commerce, and livestreaming.
China also aims to broaden international exchanges through the Global Exchange and Cooperation Center for Digital Empowerment of Women, which was established in July 2025.
Regarding digital governance, China has promoted measures to combat gender bias in AI development through its Global AI Governance Initiative and has supported a UN General Assembly resolution on international cooperation in AI capacity-building.
These initiatives are designed to expand women's access to digital skills and opportunities, thereby supporting their participation in the digital economy and the broader digital transformation.