Recognizing that improving the lives of rural women is key to fighting poverty and achieving sustainable development, UNDP China and Mary Kay, in collaboration with the China Women’s Development Foundation, the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges, the Women’s Federation of Yunnan Province and Yongren County Government, launched the SDG Pilot Village Project in Waipula, Yunnan Province, China in 2017.

The joint project, entitled “SDG Pilot Village Project: Women-focused Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development” (2017-2021), addressed the structural barriers to women’s labor market participation, including through the provision of social protection and the creation of green entrepreneurial opportunities through ecotourism, coupled with efforts to enhance women’s leadership in community decision-making forums.

Women from the Yi ethnic group became the drivers of economic growth and poverty reduction through targeted gender-specific interventions that advanced an inclusive local economy and the preservation of their cultural heritage. These activities brought about transformational changes at the local level, advancing gender equality and accelerating sustainable development.

“This project shows how entrepreneurship can be a powerful tool in addressing the income gap between men and women while fighting poverty in rural areas,” said Beate Trankmann, UNDP Resident Representative in China. “Yi women have gained the right skills and resources to leverage their cultural heritage, built solid economic foundations for themselves, and become leaders in their communities, paving the way for future generations.”

The pilot highlights the potential of multi-stakeholder partnerships, including the private sector, in advancing the SDGs while maximizing the development impact of women’s entrepreneurship. UNDP China, together with Mary Kay China and local public sector partners, worked with women entrepreneurs to ensure they were equipped with the tools and education necessary to become economic actors. The barriers to their participation in community decision-making structures were also addressed so that they could actively contribute to creating an inclusive and sustainable local green economy.

“The SDG Pilot Village Project demonstrates how the private sector can play a critical role in helping achieve the SDGs with a strong focus on women’s economic empowerment and provides a blueprint on how companies can leverage their unique strengths and accelerate development results through public-private partnerships,” said Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer, Mary Kay Inc.

“The women-focused approach of providing entrepreneurial opportunities to rural women proved to be transformative. When women started participating in economic development and consequently gained status in their communities, the whole village benefited,” said Wendy Wang, President, Mary Kay Asia Pacific Region.

The outcomes of Phase 1 of the project provide compelling evidence of the transformational effect that a gender-responsive approach can make to localizing the SDGs and in the design of policy and programmatic responses for a post-COVID-19 green and inclusive recovery.