‘Female Knights’: China mums reshape food delivery services by juggling freedom and family
Band of sisters who started out as strangers find empowerment on the road; share delivery orders if business is slow
On a small island off eastern China, a group of mothers is rewriting the rules of work and family life.
Known as the “Female Knights”, this determined band of women has turned food delivery into a path to financial independence and self-empowerment.
Qushan Island, in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, has a population of around 55,000. Its main industries are fishing and stone mining, and access to the outside world requires a two-hour ferry ride.
While most men work at sea or in the city, many women who moved here with their husbands seek part-time jobs that allow them to balance family life and earning a living.
However, local opportunities are limited.
Shipyards and oil factories primarily hire men, leaving these women – often with lower education and caregiving duties – stuck in low-paying, temporary jobs such as making fishing nets or working in restaurants.