Abstract
Women, Gender and Rural Development in China originated from the international symposium ‘China’s Rural Development: Gender Politics, Social Equity and Citizenship’ held in 2009 at the Australian National University. Its 10 chapters include an introduction and nine case studies. The chapters question whether gender politics are changing in relation to the transformation of rural development in China. The book draws on expertise in political science, sociology, gender, development and Chinese studies which, together with the authors’ own research and literature, offer a wide analysis of the construction of rural woman and gender inequality in rural China.
Women, Gender and Rural Development in China begins by providing an outline and a brief background of rural development in China from 1978 to 2007. It reports that rural areas in China experienced rapid development in terms of a decline in absolute poverty and increased life expectancy and literacy rates and that during this period agriculture, infrastructure, technology and marketing opportunities in rural China have been transformed. However, this transformation has come with challenges: increasing income inequality between rural and urban areas, social disparities and environmental degradation. Thus, a new approach to rural development was designed to integrate rural–urban development and create an equitable society. The book seeks to understand who are the ‘rural women that have been elided in China’s new approach to rural development and have been constructed and mobilized in development policies, discourse and projects in contemporary China’ (p. 13). It contributes to the study of gender in China by providing knowledge of the local institutions, traditional norms and practices which underpin gender inequality.
The book is organized into three parts which present the construction of rural woman and gendered power relations shaping development and women’s agency in China (p. 22). The first part comprises three case studies describing how women shape development. It discusses gendered village citizenship, the intra-household distribution of labour and leisure between generations, and cultural development.
Part 2 discusses the complex interrelations between development policies and institutions at the local, national and international levels. The discussion centres on the social effects of the One Child Policy, the relationship between gender norms and the gendering of the care for girls campaigns, and gender discrimination through schooling. Development policy issues related to reproduction and real property, education and campaigning for girls are explored. Part 3 shifts to the role of national and global development agencies in empowering rural women in China. The discussion is divided into development of rural women, the influence of globalization on local power relations and the participation of rural women in project policy and activities. Key issues considered for the analysis include globalization, women’s empowerment and the participation of rural women in project activities and policy.
This book is evidenced by different case studies providing a construction of rural women and gender inequality at both the local and the national level. It covers a wide range of issues in order to reach an understanding of who are ‘rural women’ in China in the context of the new rural development approach. For instance, in Chapter 1, Sally Sargeson and Song Yu demonstrate that hukou (citizens’ household registration) structures access to resources such as land and limits women’s entitlement to resources and agency as citizens. In my opinion, the evidence from this case study chapter provides an understanding of the local construction of gender and power relations within and beyond the household which limits women’s agency. On the other hand, the book also demonstrates that China’s rural development gives women opportunities and channels for questioning and claiming their rights. Some of the authors reject the view that ‘rural women are merely passive recipients, victims or instruments of the state’s or global visions of development’ (p. 21).
It is argued that perceiving women as victims of patriarchal traditions limits the analysis of other causes of gender inequality such as political, economic and local institutions. In Chapter 4, Laurel Bossen argues that ‘patriarchy has consistently been understood as the underlying cause of sex imbalance in China without giving details on how the patriarchal system functions’ (p. 100). To understand gender inequality, we need to look beyond the umbrella of patriarchal traditions and understand the local institutions that underlie how gender is constructed within the society. In addition, we need to understand the policy and practice that contribute to the prevalence of the patrilineal system. Local institutions reinforce gender inequality by enforcing traditional norms and practices; for example, in Chapter 8, Sharon Wesoky shows how a woman in a position of authority still has to negotiate for power in both the household and the community (p. 196).
The conclusion is drawn from the empirical evidence and the analysis of the local construction of rural women and power relations within and beyond the household in the context of China’s new approach to rural development. It is noted that rural women in China were viewed as a backward group holding back rural development, necessitating their support and protection by state agencies and NGOs. However, case studies in the book demonstrate that the situation has changed: some women in rural China are now contributing to their household income, which has empowered them to challenge some of the decisions of local institutions through the opportunities and channels created by rural development.
Regardless of the unnecessarily prolonged description of a grassland management project in the last chapter, the book is well structured and allows the reader to follow the argument easily. The three parts have been formed in different themes which make the book accessible. Women, Gender and Rural Development contributes to gender discourse especially its exploration of women’s narratives and offers practical knowledge for development practitioners. This book is recommended for students and scholars interested in gender and development, social policy, sociology and for development actors promoting gender equality in both China and other developing countries.