Influencing Life with Life

Wang Xingjuan (middle) wins a Special Recognition award at the Global Leadership Awards in 2007. [vitalvoices.org]

While most retired people would look forward to their leisurely twilight years, 83-year-old Wang Xingjuan, the founder of China's first women's NGO, is still active in women's studies and is tireless in her fight for women's empowerment.

In 1988, Wang and some female friends established the Women's Institute under the China Academy of Management Science, which would become China's first women's NGO and the predecessor of the Beijing Maple Women's Psychological Counseling Center.

The center's core idea is 'Influencing life with life', which refers to the belief that one can use one's own life to improve the lives of others. For years, the center has been committed to caring for the physical and psychological health of disadvantaged women and children by providing psychological consultations and other social services.

For the past 25 years, Wang has devoted her time and energy to the center despite challenges such as staffing and financial shortages. Her painstaking work won her a Special Recognition award at the 2007 Global Leadership Awards, which are distributed to women leaders working to protect human rights, strengthen democracy, and increase economic opportunity. Closer to home, she has made a difference in the lives of thousands of Chinese women.

On January 22, 2010, Wang was hailed as one of the 2009 National Top 10 Social Commenweal Stars.

Wang Xingjuan monitors the Beijing Maple Women's Psychological Counseling Center hotline. [Beijing Times/Hu Xuebai]

A Difficult Childhood

Wang was born in Wenjiao Village in Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, as fourth in a family of nine children. Her family was famous in the village for having sent every child to university.

Her father, Wang Shaoli, was born in 1891 to a landowning family. He had two wives, five sons and four daughters.

"Despite giving birth to a son, my mother did not have any status or respect in the family," said Wang. "She was overworked and frustrated and her tragic life was typical of women of her time."

"My mother lived such a sad life that she often took out her sorrow and despair on us children. On most occasions, I bore the brunt of her bad temper," Wang adds.

"As for me, I knew that the only way out was to fight to get away from my family," said Wang, whose oldest sister helped her get into the University of Nanking in east China's Jiangsu Province.

Her experiences at university left a deep impression on her. In 1985, Wang used her experiences growing up to write a book called Reading for Girls.

The book not only won second place in the first national outstanding youth reading competition but also became a popular birthday gift for mothers to give their daughters. She went on to work at the Beijing Publishing Group.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (right) meets with Wang Xingjuan during her visit to China on February 22, 2009. [maple.org.cn]

Founding China's First Women's NGO

Wang retired about 25 years ago. At the time, many readers were eagerly awaiting more of her work, following the successful publication of her biography of Chairman Mao's second wife, titled The Story of He Zizhen (1909-1984). The Writers Publishing House even promised to publish any book she wrote.

To everyone's surprise, Wang gave up writing to concentrate on doing social volunteer work for Chinese women, declaring that she found it to be a better embodiment of her personal values.

Accordingly, she set up what would become the Beijing Maple Women's Psychological Counseling Center, at the age of 58. In order to finance the center, Wang and her colleagues sold products and took up clothing design and production.

"I made a new start in life after I retired," said Wang. "If I can use my limited lifetime to influence the whole of society to respect life and care for women, it is worth whatever price I pay."

In September 1992, the center opened China's first service hotline for women. Later, it also opened expert and legal advice hotlines as well as one for senior citizens.

In 1998, it also set up a family center to provide services for single-parent families.

On March 3, 2004, it opened a domestic violence hotline to provide phone services and social services to victims and survivors of domestic violence. So far, the hotline has received more than 80,000 calls and has helped thousands of women cope with mental stress and gain the courage to change their circumstances.

"Speaking from my own experience, someone who is in despair can regain hope if he or she receives encouragement or help," said Wang.

"I get a great sense of achievement and happiness from helping others," said Wang. "That's why I have devoted so many years of my life to doing all I can to help Chinese women."

(Source: womenofchina.cn and china-woman.com/Translated and edited by womenofchina.cn)