The Celebration of Women

A large portion of the local Miao women have never received formal education. In many families, girls are not supported by the family to go to school and are expected instead to take on domestic chores, farm work, and care for their younger siblings from an early age. Due to the deeply rooted gender inequality, the status of Miao women remains low in many aspects of life.

On top of that, many women in the village speak only the Miao language and not Mandarin Chinese, which makes it even more difficult for them to find work outside the village or navigate the outside world. Meanwhile, most of the younger generation have migrated to cities for work, leaving behind many elderly people in the village.

Madam Zhang Shixiu is one of the few women in Paimo Village who received an education and can speak fluent Mandarin—she completed middle school. As the founder of Mingxiu Batik Workshop, she has empowered the women who remain in the village. Beyond farming, these women can now use their traditional skills to produce batik and embroidery textiles and fulfill external commercial orders, allowing them to earn an income of their own.

One unforgettable aspect of this story is how the workshop first began—through the celebration of International Women’s Day in Paimo Village for the very first time. In my interview with her, Madam Zhang shared how this celebration marked the beginning: she invited local women to her workshop to create batik textiles and get paid for their craftsmanship. Over time, this initiative not only helped them improve their livelihoods but also allowed them to gain confidence, a sense of pride, and the dignity they long deserved.