LocationsThe Women of UNDP China
November 21, 2025
Across the globe, women are shaping the future. Their work is not always featured in headlines – often, their most valuable contributions are unseen. In 2024, women in China made up just under half of the national workforce, which surpasses the global average. [1]
At UNDP China however, women account for the majority of the team. They work on every level, from interns to senior managers, shaping how development is imagined and delivered. Highlighting their stories not only amplifies their valuable contributions to UNDP’s wider goals but also shows how real progress takes shape.
These stories remind us that development is not just about organizational frameworks or targets, but also about the journeys of individuals and their motivations to build something bigger, to shape a better and brighter future for all.
Zhan Wen (Anna)
For Zhan Wen (Anna), development was always about people.
During degrees in both Human Resource Management and Public Policy, Anna’s academic research focused on how delivery workers navigate safety risks under algorithmic management. Later, she turned to another often-overlooked group – the elderly.
“China is approaching a swift demographic transition,” she said. “We need to prepare systems that value older people, rather than sideline them.”
With inclusivity at its core, Anna’s work at UNDP now supports projects in China focusing on emerging development challenges like the Silver Economy – services and products aimed at elderly consumers – as well as youth empowerment and disability rights.
As a UNDP Programme Assistant, she’s helping to build the foundation for a future where aging populations are seen not as a burden, but as key players in ongoing social development, with valuable knowledge and wisdom to offer.
“When I worked in (private) enterprises, everything was about results. At UNDP, the first question is always ‘How does this contribute to society, the environment, and national development?’” she said.
That macro thinking, she believes, is what sets UNDP apart from the private sector.
Anna is passionate about advancing research on elderly rights and the silver economy in her life outside of UNDP as well. As a member of EvalYouth China, she has contributed to project evaluations and hopes to help develop an indicator system to assess the capabilities of elderly-assistance organizations.
In her spare time, Anna also volunteers at elderly homes, singing, making crafts, and keeping the residents company. “Many of them feel lonely. Their children live far away, and they feel like they’ve been left behind by society.”
In the future, Anna plans to conduct research and provide policy recommendations to address challenges arising from ageing societies. She believes the future of work must consider all generations, and that ultimately, innovation and empathy must go hand in hand.
As part of a new generation entering the field, she offers the following advice to others hoping to follow a similar path: “Be brave. Don’t wait for permission to do what you care about. Keep learning. And be open to other ideas. Girls are artists, we see color in the world because of our beautiful minds.”
Huang Zeqin
Even as a child, Huang Zeqin dreamed of working at the United Nations.
Her passion for political science and global affairs began early. At Model UN conferences, she often represented developing countries and debated issues of peace, equity, and sustainability.
Today, that childhood vision is starting to take shape. Now a law student at the Ocean University of China - soon to pursue a master's in international law at China University of Political Science and Law - Zeqin now works as a Project Assistant Intern for the Ecosystem & Biodiversity Portfolio to support biodiversity conservation efforts through a range of UNDP projects supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
From protecting migratory birds and restoring degraded forests, to planning sustainable peatland management and reducing threats from invasive species, the work is expansive but always starts with small steps.
“It’s not glamorous work,” Zeqin said. “It’s made up of quiet, careful tasks, reviewing reports, contacting stakeholders, coordinating with consultants. But these pieces build up into something much greater.”
Her work involves understanding how local activities, such as soil erosion control or protected area reform, connect to broader goals like land degradation neutrality and biodiversity conservation across East Asia. Zeqin’s experience at UNDP has strengthened her sense of direction: “I’ve learned that project work isn’t just about execution, it’s about vision. You need to be meticulous and forward-looking at the same time.”
Zeqin’s advice to youth: “Bravely seize good opportunities when they come. I truly believe that once you step into hands-on work with international organizations, you gain new perspectives, broaden your horizons, connect with more people, and build a clearer understanding of this field.”
Xu Jiayue (Joy)
For Jiayue, the path into development “was intentional from the start.”
Drawn to the public sector for “its unique ability to bring diverse partners together to drive positive change,” her transition from academia (after completing two masters’ programs) to more hands-on work in project management, began with an internship at UN Trade & Development.
Her current role, as a Program Assistant for United Nations Volunteers (UNV), was an invaluable opportunity to work with and support marginalized groups in a professional capacity.
Today, her duties involve closely managing and coordinating partnerships while providing monitoring ,evaluation and reporting support for UNV’s projects. Among these is the Hydrogen Economy Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Project, which has provided vocational training for over 12,000 to secure work in the hydrogen economy of which a record 33% are now women. [2]
For Jiayue, the real reward of this project comes from seeing the direct impact it has on its beneficiaries. One moving moment for her was an interview with a female student participant who had successfully joined the clean transportation industry as a result of UNV’s educational support.
“That experience convinced me that empowering less-represented groups (like women in STEM) is a game-changer for advancing the SDGs,” she said. “My direct engagement with partners and students moved my understanding from a theoretical to a practical level.”
This is all connected to her belief in mutual empowerment - in building skills for young women in STEM, Jiayue builds her own as an educator. “That shared journey is what I find most rewarding and inspiring,” she added.
The challenges, as with any outreach program, come with establishing trust.
“It was hard to convince [local TVET schools and universities] of UNDP’s role and potential impact in their development. They were skeptical about the value we could bring,” she said. “What I learned was the importance of persistence and genuine, on-the-ground engagement — patiently explaining the value of our collaboration and how it could address their specific challenges.”
Ultimately, this is at the core of the advice Jiayue would give to women on her path: “Be resilient and bold. The challenges that feel huge today will one day be a small line on your life’s resume. Genuine respect is the foundation of strong partnerships and will be reciprocated, building trust and cooperation.”
Violante di Canossa
A change in course can start with a single spark.
In Violante di Canossa’s case, one project was the catalyst for a career move into development.
After nearly a decade on the trading floor at an investment bank, Violante joined the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), re-sparking an interest in development economics that had begun during her master’s at the London School of Economics.
At the ICTSD, she researched how Myanmar’s value chains could turn its growing garment sector into a key driver of sustainable development, as seen previously in countries such as Bangladesh.
This brought her attention not only to other sectors, but also to other countries. In 2018, she joined UNDP to help develop a report on the opportunities and challenges in creating sustainable palm oil production in China and Indonesia. Now, seven years later, as the head of the Strategic Partnerships and Policy Team at UNDP China, her role has expanded, yet her mission remains the same.
“Now, value chains are a minimal part of what I look at, but evidence-based analysis of context, circumstances, facts, countries, regions and sectors remains the core of our research,” she said. "This is something that Chinese policymakers, decision-makers, academia (but really everybody) are hungry for. What we [UNDP China’s SPP team] add on top of that evidence-based analysis is concretizing it into policy recommendations, bringing it to life, on the ground.”
“Each of our team members brings something very special to the team, but what I am really grateful for here at UNDP China is the cohesion – how well we work together as one,” she added.
In today’s age, where (like in many sectors) the presence and influence of artificial intelligence is growing, yet still not entirely certain, Violante’s guidance is reflective of her own motivations as an economist: “Build and nurture your curiosity, your creativity, and your social skills. Those are where AI is less likely to be disruptive. Curiosity means keeping learning. Creativity means doing things slightly outside of the box, trying to connect things that may not seem related. Social skills matter, because we are, I strongly believe, social animals after all.”
Making a case for this unique value added is important not only for humanity in the face of AI, but also, according to Violante, for women in the face of continuing gender disparities: “Until we bring men to the table and convince them that we may do things differently, not better than what they do, and still bring value, nothing will change.”
[1] Labor force, female (% of total labor force) - China | Data
Related
content
content
