First Generation Story

Breaking Gender Barriers

Raised in a traditional, patriarchal rural community in southeastern China, I witnessed the constrained lives of women, from early school dropouts and heavy family responsibilities to low-paying jobs and early marriages. As the only child in my family, my birth was seen as a missed opportunity for a male heir, highlighting the deeply ingrained bias against women's education and opportunities in such an environment. Defying these norms, I became the first female in my family to attend college, driven by a determination to challenge gender biases and stereotypes. Moreover, my transformation was further influenced by my civil society organization career path and my participation in a women ledership program -- the Homeward Bound Project. These experiences helped me shed the armor of a male-dominated society, embrace my power of vulnerability and resilience, and motivate me to inspire and empower more women in sustainability by organizing workshops, writing a book, and initiating dialogues. This is part of my story as an only daughter from rural China.