Transforming Women's "Earning Power" Through Digital Means - The Potential and Evaluation Points of AI Training Promoted by China

Is There a Job After Learning AI? Examining Japan's Challenges Through China's Support for Women

Enhancing product photos with AI, selling online, and delivering to distant customers—whether such work becomes an option depends on access to technology and learning opportunities.

An article published by China's CGTN on October 11, 2026, on the German financial information site "Aktiencheck" highlighted women's support through digital technology. It discussed initiatives linking AI training and e-commerce entrepreneurship support to women's economic participation and international cooperation.

In Japan, reskilling, job creation in rural areas, and balancing work with childcare and caregiving are familiar challenges. What we can learn from China's example is not just the scale of training but how acquired skills change income and work styles.

The original article, distributed via GlobeNewswire from CGTN, has a positive tone towards China's initiatives. It's necessary to read separately the content of the support and how much its effects can be confirmed.

Digital Training with 51 Women from 10 Countries

According to the original article, during training held in June 2026 in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China, Saba Aliyeva from Azerbaijan experienced AI-based image editing for the first time and felt a strong need to acquire this skill.

The article introduced two training programs focusing on AI, digital entrepreneurship, and women's support through technology, with 51 women from 10 countries participating. The goal was for women from developing countries to acquire skills necessary for the digital age.

The significance of such training is not limited to transitioning to professional jobs. For instance, digital skills can be useful for small business owners creating product descriptions, organizing sales data, or drafting explanations for overseas customers.

However, there is a gap between being able to operate and making a profit as a business. Whether support continues for securing sales channels, pricing, and customer service affects the value of the training.

China's Achievements and What Numbers Alone Can't Tell

The original article reported that in 2024, 14,147 women in China obtained vocational skills qualifications as AI trainers, accounting for 42.3% of all qualifiers that year.

Additionally, more than half of entrepreneurs in China's internet sector are women, and in emerging fields like digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming, about one-third of workers are women.

These figures are introduced in the original article, and this article cannot independently verify the definitions or scope of the statistics. Particularly, the proportion of qualification holders should not be interpreted in the same way as the proportion of AI researchers or development leaders.

Moreover, even if the number of participants and qualification holders increases, it does not mean that income gaps or promotion opportunities between genders have been resolved.

To evaluate the support's outcomes, it would be helpful to know the percentage of people who found jobs after completion, changes in income, business continuity rates, and transitions to desired occupations. The current release does not detail such long-term outcomes.

The $300 Billion Potential is a Conditional Estimate, Not an "Achievement"

The original article cites a study on e-commerce by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group as the basis for economic potential.

According to IFC's primary materials, if gender gaps are closed, an additional market value of about $280 billion in Southeast Asia and about $14.5 billion in Africa could be generated in the e-commerce market from 2025 to 2030. The total is approximately $294.5 billion, which IFC describes as "about $300 billion."

In response to the original article's expression "over $300 billion," this has been organized here as "about $300 billion" in line with the primary materials.

Importantly, this is not revenue generated by China's training programs. It is a future market opportunity estimate based on the condition of narrowing gender gaps, grounded in research published in 2021.

Creating an environment where women can start, continue, and easily grow their businesses has significant economic implications. However, using this figure alone cannot prove the effectiveness of a specific country's policies.

The Expansion of International Cooperation and Perspectives on Evaluating Support

The original article also introduces the International Exchange and Cooperation Center for Women's Digital Empowerment, established in July 2025. The aim is to connect domestic experiences in China with skill acquisition and entrepreneurship for women overseas.

Additionally, Peng Liyuan called for enhanced vocational and digital education for women in a video message at the 2026 UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education ceremony.

Cross-border training offers not only skill acquisition but also the potential for participants to gain advisors and collaborators. Sharing experiences after returning home could extend support beyond short-term courses.

To verify its effectiveness, it is essential to continuously follow up on the situation after training. Whether learning is available in the local language, whether participants can afford the fees, and whether it can be used even with unstable communication environments are crucial. It is also important that the content provided by instructors matches what participants need in their daily lives.

On Social Media, Expectations for Learning Coexist with Caution Towards AI

A Facebook post by CGTN introducing this article was confirmed. However, due to insufficient access to general user comments, it is unclear whether the reaction to this article was favorable or critical.

A useful reference is another public discussion about women's use of AI. The following is not a direct response to the current training in China but voices on related themes on social media.

On Reddit, a post mentioned that when a practical AI learning community run by women was called for on Instagram, over 60 people gathered in less than a week. The poster questioned whether it is more about creating accessible learning spaces and connections to work rather than low interest among women.

On the other hand, comments included concerns about the misuse of AI for deepfakes and experiences of having to edit AI-generated texts at work.

These are personal experiences and opinions, not surveys representing trends among all women. Nonetheless, the discussion highlights that promoting usage requires not only explaining convenience but also creating a safe learning environment and the ability to verify outputs.

In Japan, the Question is "After Taking the Course"

In June 2025, the Japanese government decided on the "New Women's Digital Talent Development Plan." It aims to support the use of digital skills in employment, balancing childcare and caregiving, career advancement, and entrepreneurship.

The plan targets not only skill acquisition but also job creation in communities and reevaluation of work styles. The concern is that even if the number of learners increases, without jobs or environments to utilize those skills, active participation will not expand.

When considering Japan in light of China's example, three points should be emphasized.

First, connecting learning content with actual work. It is necessary to provide opportunities to not only learn tool operations but also experience specific tasks and receive advice on deliverables.

Second, securing time for learning. Even if courses can be taken at home, simultaneous engagement with housework, childcare, or caregiving can hinder concentration. Without consideration of course timings and support from those around, online access alone does not remove participation barriers.

Third, verifying effects on income and careers. In addition to the number of participants and completion rates, it is necessary to track whether participants secured desired jobs, whether their compensation increased, and whether they can continue working.

These three points apply not only to China but also to talent development by Japanese municipalities and companies.

Developing the Ability to Use AI and Verify It Together

When expanding women's digital participation, the goal should not be to simply increase the "number of times AI is used."

For example, even if product descriptions can be created quickly, if they contain inaccuracies, they can undermine customer trust. Even if translations appear natural, they may not be accurate. Before inputting business information, it is also necessary to confirm how it will be handled by the service.

Therefore, it is desirable for training to cover not only operation methods but also output verification, information handling, and correction of errors.

The aim is not only to increase the number of women using new technologies but also to make it easier for them to participate in decision-making regarding work processes and service design. Only by considering this broader perspective can digital support lead to an expansion of choices.

Can Opportunities to Learn Technology Be Transformed into Life Choices?

The international training introduced by China is one initiative to connect digital skills with women's economic participation. However, evaluation requires not only the success stories shared but also information showing the subsequent paths of participants.

What Japan can learn is not merely adopting the format of the training but how concretely it can create pathways from learning to work, and from work to income and career.

A small experience, such as editing an image with AI for the first time, can sometimes lead to new business or employment opportunities. Support is needed to ensure that such opportunities do not end as a one-time experience but lead to the desired work style.

Sources and Reference URLs

1. CGTN Article Published on Aktiencheck
   An article about training in China, the number of participants, qualification holders, and international cooperation initiatives.

2. https://www.aktiencheck.de/news/Artikel-GNW_News_CGTN_Wie_China_Frauen_weltweit_mithilfe_digitaler_Technologien_staerkt-20161443

3. IFC "Women and E-commerce in Emerging Markets"
   Primary material confirming the position of the estimate of approximately $300 billion in additional economic opportunities in the e-commerce market of Southeast Asia and Africa by closing gender gaps.
   https://www.ifc.org/en/what-we-do/sector-expertise/gender/digital-empowerment/women-and-ecommerceifc.org

4. Cabinet Office Gender Equality Bureau "New Women's Digital Talent Development Plan"
   Decided in June 2025. Japan's policy on women's employment, career advancement, entrepreneurship, and the development of social infrastructure and environment.
   https://www.gender.go.jp/policy/digital/pdf/digital_plan.pdfgender.go.jp

5. CGTN's Facebook Post
   Confirmation that the article was introduced on social media. Not used as a basis for judging the trend of general user reactions.
   https://www.facebook.com/ChinaGlobalTVNetwork/posts/how-china-uses-digital-tech-to-empower-women-globally/1793783222115142/facebook.com

6. Reddit Discussion on Women and AI Usage
   Individual posts and comments on participation in practical learning communities, caution against AI misuse, and the quality of generated texts. Referenced as related discussions, not direct responses to the current article.
   https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtificialInteligence/comments/1qa745k/why_are_women_adopting_ai_25_less_than_men/