China

Overview

Helping all segments of society gain access to community resources and government services will allow them to participate fully in China's growth.

The Regional Context

The extraordinary transformation of China's economy, society and standing in the world during recent years has brought new challenges. The focus on economic growth has led to stark disparities in wealth, status and the ability to access resources and opportunity. To meet these challenges, the country is shifting to a model of balanced and sustainable growth.

The existing disparities heighten the vulnerability of marginalized groups. Women face intensified discrimination in the modern marketplace. Migrant workers, people in rural communities and minority groups have fewer opportunities than others to share in the benefits of China's transformation.

Our Goal

The goal of our work is to develop the social sector and help marginalized groups access opportunities and resources.

By supporting research entities, civil society organizations and government institutions that share in this goal, we help disadvantaged people and communities participate as partners in China's development and help them gain essential resources to combat poverty, inequality and discrimination.

What We're Doing

Our work seeks systemwide improvements for disadvantaged groups. We focus on helping poor communities, women, migrants, minorities and other groups to:

Utilize the developing justice system
Retain access to sustainable natural resources
Make informed choices about their families and careers
Complete their school and college studies
Engage with government agencies
Access the services they need through civil society organizations

Our grant making in the region is pursued through the following initiatives.

Issue	Initiative
Democratic and Accountable Government	Promoting Transparent, Effective and Accountable Government
Human Rights	Reforming Civil and Criminal Justice Systems
Sustainable Development	Expanding Community Rights Over Natural Resources
Educational Opportunity and Scholarship	Transforming Secondary Education Higher Education for Social Justice
Sexuality and Reproductive Health and Rights	Youth Sexuality, Reproductive Health, and Rights

From the Newsroom

News from Ford: Ford Foundation Appoints Elizabeth Knup to Lead Its China Office Through her leadership experience, Knup has emphasized enhanced educational opportunities as a way to build and strengthen civil society
In the Headlines: Investing in U.S.-China Relations 100,000 Strong initiative encourages American students to learn Mandarin and study in China
News from Ford: Ford Foundation Gives $1 Million to Help Expand Number of U.S. Students with Experience in China Supports creation of “100,00 Strong” initiative to encourage greater interest in global exchange and increase people-to-people ties

From the Library

Ford Foundation China For more than 30 years, the foundation's China office has been supporting institutions and individuals who work to build a robust, inclusive and equitable society. Today, we help develop a strong social sector that will serve as the foundation for reducing poverty, addressing inequality and creating opportunities for marginalized communities to have a greater voice and contribute to the common good of the society. 2 MB