UNDP China     Women of the Lisu ethnic minority, from Yunnan province, China, in traditional dress.

August 9,  2022   Human Rights

In China, ethnic minority women from the 55 ethnic minority groups formally recognized by the country, are playing a vital role in protecting traditional knowledge and preserving cultural heritage.

 On the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, celebrated every year on 9 August, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is raising awareness of the ways in which cultural practices in these communities help women to nourish local life, as well as steer the next generation forward, including through the institution of marriage. 

For a number of these female-led societies, women frequently play a dominant role in nurturing and educating the next generation, and in the process transmit their languages, practices, beliefs, and other forms of cultural heritage.

UN-backed initiatives are helping them to keep their traditions, from wool-weaving to lute playing, alive. You can read the full story here.