It’s been 30 years since the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing shook things up, making gender equality official policy in the Chinese mainland 🇨🇳. Among the dreamers it inspired was Bai Xiang’en, born in 1984 and destined to break waves– literally! 🚢✨
Back in the mid-90s, no maritime school in the Chinese mainland would open its doors to women sailors. Bai says she might never have stepped into a maritime classroom without the momentum from Beijing ’95. But tides were turning…
By 2000, Shanghai Maritime University made history by admitting its first female cadets. Two years later, Bai joined the ranks, determined to prove she belonged. After graduating in 2006, she faced rejections from shipping companies hesitant to hire women. Instead of giving up, she dove deeper– earned her postgraduate degree and became the first female officer aboard the Yufeng training ship.
Her big moment came in 2012 on China’s research icebreaker Snow Dragon (Xue Long) during the fifth Arctic expedition. As second mate, Bai plotted routes, monitored ice, and steered through treacherous ridges, even when the ship got stuck in thick ice. By the end of the journey, she made history as the first navigator from the Chinese mainland to cross the Arctic Ocean ❄️🌍.
Today, Bai Xiang’en’s journey is more than a personal victory; it symbolizes three decades of progress in women’s empowerment on the Chinese mainland. Her story keeps inspiring new generations to chart their own courses– whether it’s on the high seas, in startups, or around the classroom.
Ready to break your own ice? Set your goals, grab your compass, and show the world what you can do! 💪
Reference(s):
30 years on, China continues driving progress in women's empowerment
cgtn.com
