Lu (front) is cleaning vegetables. [Photo provided to China Daily]
She added that despite working full-time jobs like men, many women still handle most of the household chores and family responsibilities when they return home, while men often take it for granted.
Lu's journey has motivated her to support other mothers facing gender bias and career obstacles.
Currently, Lu's factory employs 32 people — all of them are women — including 28 local mothers.
She discovered that female employees, even when handling physically demanding tasks, consistently showed more diligence and excelled in both production and sanitation.
"Our team of women has proven that they can do just as well as, or even better than, men. They're incredibly brave and are the backbone of our company's growth," Lu said.
Unable to change societal attitudes, Lu concentrates on providing more support and care to her female employees in various ways.
For example, she adjusted the start time from 8 am to 8:30 am, allowing employees to drop off their children at school and have breakfast before beginning work. She also moved the finish time to half an hour earlier than the local standard, providing them with additional personal time.
"These supports are limited," Lu said. "I always hope that the women can take on more leadership roles and that we can genuinely achieve gender equality."
