Leaders in the field

In recent years, a growing number of companies and organizations have begun paying attention to the health of mothers. As such, they have started public welfare projects to provide convenience in daily matters, to protect women's health or to help them realize their dreams and those of their children and other family members.

Several of the most prominent are listed below.

1. The V-Love Mothers program, initiated by Vipshop, an online retailer, provides legal and psychological assistance for single mothers. Since the end of 2017, Vipshop has invested 10 million yuan ($1.3 million) to set up a special fund for single mothers in need, providing services such as health security, financial assistance, educational help and the protection of rights. The hotline is part of the program.

2. The Mothers Health Express focuses on women's health. It was initiated by the All-China Women's Federation, the China Women's Development Foundation, China Construction Bank and several other institutions and enterprises. Launched in 2011, the program has nearly 1,000"Mother Health Express" vehicles, which provide various forms of medical and health services in 27 provinces and municipalities, spreading health concepts and knowledge that benefit more than 20 million people.

3. Water Cellars for Mothers focuses on the shortage of water resources, primarily in the western regions. It was initiated by organizations and businesses such as the All-China Women's Foundation and Pepsi (China) Investment. The water supply project has been in operation since 2001, helping people in affected areas, especially women, overcome the health and livelihood problems caused by severe water shortages. By 2021, it had benefited more than 1 million people in 11 provinces and autonomous regions in West and Central China.

4. Mother Love Warm Heart Package. Initiated by the China Women's Development Foundation and China Post, it collects donations and sends items to mothers in need, relying on 36,000 postal outlets nationwide. It mainly selects daily necessities for poor mothers and encourages people to deliver "mother mail packages" via a "one-to-one" donation model to help solve difficulties in the women's lives.

5. The Single Mothers Support Program. Founded by the One Mother Mental Health Service Center, it focuses on the mental health of single mothers. This public welfare project is aimed at women who have suffered great psychological trauma after getting divorced or becoming widows and are raising children by themselves. Through online platforms, offline afternoon tea and workshops for mothers, the project aims to improve the women's inner strength, develop positive attitudes, and promote the healthy growth of their children.

6. Working Mothers Healthcare Action, which provides medical assistance to women who work away from home, was initiated by Jingdong Health, the China Social Assistance Foundation and the Beijing Cooperative Social Work Development Center. The project cooperates with a number of medical product companies to donate self-testing kits for HPV, as well as supplements and health products for mothers in the migrant worker group.

7. The Startup Cycle Fund for Mothers, launched by the China Women's Development Foundation and Legend Holdings, provides startup funds for women and supports them in founding their own businesses. Since it was started in 1996, this public welfare project has provided small, interest-free loans to rural women in poor areas to help them engage in small and micro entrepreneurship, and to provide employment to help raise their incomes and assist with poverty alleviation. It's a classic example of a successful joint solution to social problems provided by the government, enterprises, women's federations and society.

8. The Super Hero Mom help plan, initiated by the China Women's Development Foundation and Tencent, is dedicated to linking resources to help women participate in public welfare work to aid women. The project aims to give better play to the power of women within the field, help more women with related ideas to realize their dreams and allow such welfare to cover more vulnerable groups. It has supported more than 100 women's welfare organizations working in many fields, including employment, health, education and environmental protection, and it involves more than 500 female practitioners of related welfare activities.