The United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) is funding an aid program to help poverty-stricken women find jobs in northwest China's Gansu Province.

 

Funding worth US$330,000 will be transferred via World Bank to a program to help poverty-stricken and laid-off women in the cities of Lanzhou, Tianshui and Jinchang find employment, said Yang Lilun, an official of the provincial women's federation in charge of the program.

 

Gansu provincial government would allocate the equivalent of US$247,800 to support the program until July 2008, said Yang.

 

Free training courses would be organized to teach women practical skills or offer employment advice.

 

The program would also offer financial support to women who come up with viable business development plans and were willing to do business independently, and ventures that could offer jobs to more women.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2006)