Qin Suping (L) and husband Tang Ruyu pose for a photograph. [Photo/WeChat account of Qidong Daily]

A female retiree from Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, in eastern Jiangsu province, was honored as one of the most influential women in Nantong since the founding of China 70 years ago, at a conference commemorating the 109th anniversary of International Women’s Day, on March 7. 

Qin Suping, former chief executive of Qidong, who also served at one point as the former director of the Nantong Forestry Bureau and chairwoman of the Jiangsu Women’s Federation, was the winner of the title. 

The award recognizing her positive influence is not her only honor. Qin was also deputy to the fourth National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, and deputy to the eighth CPC National Congress. 

She was once recognized as a “charity ambassador”, a title given by the Jiangsu Children’s Foundation.

In early 1960s, Qin devoted herself to motivating Qidong’s citizens to plant cotton and grain, and promoted the training of planting techniques. Thanks to her devotion, Qidong helped secure high yields of both cotton and grain during difficult times.

She subsequently took part in four meetings organized by the State Council on cotton, and received compliments from then Premier Zhou Enlai.

From 1973 to 1988, a period when she served as chairwoman of the Jiangsu Women’s Federation, Qin initiated the founding of the Jiangsu Foundation for the Welfare of Children and Teenagers, the province’s first charity organization. 

Following her retirement, Qin devoted herself to charity. Despite living frugally, she and her husband donated 200,000 yuan ($29,796) to the Jiangsu Children Foundation to help young girls finish their schooling.

Qin is also the initiator of initiatives by Jiangsu’s legislative for improvements to the protection of women and children. Her efforts accelerated the process of Jiangsu announcing more specific regulations to protect their legal rights.