UN Volunteer Zhu Liu (China) served with UN Women in China from 2020 to late 2021. She was part of a project supporting women to recover from the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19. This COVID-19 recovery project is jointly implemented by UN Women and the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF). It targets women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises in two Chinese cities most affected by the pandemic, Wuhan and Tianjin.
As a Communications Assistant with UN Women, Zhu Liu was responsible for the communication and advocacy activities of the COVID-19 recovery project and the Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme. She promoted and advocated gender equality and women’s rights through multiple channels, and developed social media content and online campaigns on Weibo, WeChat, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The #SheBouncesBack online campaign Zhu contributed to has reached over one million people on Weibo. She also produced website articles and other communication products, such as videos, newsletters, brochures, flyers and a coffee table book. Besides content creation and strategy building, the office had also given Zhu the opportunity to support international conferences, including the annual International Conference on Gender Equality and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Gender equality and the empowerment of women lie at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals, and they are vital to fully realizing the rights and potential of everyone. The experience at UN Women provided Zhu with the most valuable opportunities to learn to view the world through a gender lens and to participate in activities that are truly empowering women. She has also had the chance to dig deeper into how to help to achieve the SDGs as a young professional.
During my assignment, I was able to witness the essential contribution of women at all levels in China’s response and its recovery: their leadership and resilience as frontline responders, tireless dedication as community volunteers, knowledge as innovators and steadfastness as national leaders. I have learned that when women are empowered, mobilized and given equal opportunities, they can do almost anything. --Zhu Liu, UN Volunteer Communications Assistant with UN Women, China
Zhu continues, "I value this work experience and thank the UNV programme for providing me with this excellent opportunity to support such a meaningful and rewarding project. I have been able to help women recover from the impacts of COVID-19, and have gained from various learning opportunities and networking opportunities to advance my career."
