Founder and President of Educating Girls of Rural China

Ching Tien is a Chinese Canadian social entrepreneur and a globally recognized advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Since founding Educating Girls of Rural China (EGRC) in 2005, Ching has led the development of a highly effective program to empower young women by providing the financial sponsorship and emotional support they need to complete their high school and university education. To date, EGRC has sponsored over 2 000 rural Chinese young women who have achieved a graduation rate of over 99%.
Born in Beijing, Ching attended a privileged girls only school until her education was interrupted by China’s Cultural Revolution. Instead of finishing her education, she was sent to one of the poorest regions in Western China, Gansu Province, where she worked in a factory for eight years. The hardship she experienced, the poverty and especially how women and girls were treated would later inspire her to establish EGRC after over 20 years living in Canada.