‘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.