Hey changemakers! 🚀 Peng Liyuan, UNESCO’s special envoy for girls' and women's education, just dropped some major inspo on how technology is opening doors for women and girls across China—and beyond.
Saluting STEM Superstars
At the 2025 L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards, Prof Wang Xiaoyun from Tsinghua University was named one of five laureates for her breakthroughs in cryptography—think of cryptography as the secret code that keeps our online info safe. UNESCO says Wang's work is motivating a new wave of female mathematicians and cybersecurity experts.
Digital Power Moves
With around 40 million women in science and tech, Chinese women now account for nearly half of the sci-tech workforce. From a guideline boosting digital tools in rural areas to action plans on digital literacy, the push is real. Rural women trained in e-commerce are driving online markets—sound familiar to the booming e-wallet and marketplace scenes in South and Southeast Asia? Now, women run over 50% of internet startups in the country.
Today, women make up more than half of all higher education students in China and about 43% of the workforce, shaping fields like management, science, business, and sports.
“China’s push to develop digital and intelligent technologies is reshaping the lifestyles of women and girls, creating broader development opportunities in the digital intelligence era,” said Peng. She’s keen to team up globally to keep this momentum going.
To our young South and Southeast Asian pros: this is your moment! 💡 Dive into digital skilling programs, join hackathons, or start that e-shop you’ve been dreaming about. Tech is the toolkit—let’s make it work for everyone.
Ready, set, innovate! 💪🌟
Reference(s):
Peng Liyuan urges more opportunities for women, girls via technology
cgtn.com
