中国青年女性参与村庄治理

The trend of left-behind women serving as village officials and participating in village governance is on the rise. Research in clan-based villages in the general agricultural regions of central and western China reveals that village factional conflicts make it difficult for elderly male village officials to win in village committee elections. Additionally, the emphasis on younger village officials by local governments forces these older men out of their roles. The economic resources available through village governance are limited and fail to meet the material needs of middle-aged and young male village officials, leading to their withdrawal as well. With the departure of men, left-behind women have become significant candidates for village official positions. Because of the increasing “administratization” 行政化 of village governance, village organizations need to mobilize these women to handle the growing administrative tasks in village management. Serving as village officials allows left-behind women to both care for their children and earn a decent income, while fulfilling the local government’s requirements for village officials. Consequently, through a series of training mechanisms, an increasing number of women are becoming the principal cadres within village committees.

No abstract available

study aims to examine the dynamics of gender relations in decision-making in Pesagi village, Kayen sub-district, Pati district. The main focus of this research is to understand the extent to which women are involved in the decision-making process and how to improve the role of women in line with the enactment of Law No. 6 of 2014 on Villages, which provides new opportunities for women's participation. This research uses a qualitative approach with the methods of in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis to obtain a comprehensive picture of women's participation in village decision-making. By testing the validity of the data using the Triangulation technique, namely comparing and reviewing the degree of trust in information obtained through different times and tools in qualitative research. The results show that despite formal recognition of women's role in village governance, their active participation is still limited. Women tend to be involved in domestic and community issues, such as health and social welfare, while men dominate areas of physical village development. Deep-rooted gender stereotypes and inequalities in access and opportunity are also factors inhibiting women's participation, and decision-making by women is often influenced by men. Based on the explanation from the analysis of men's and women's gender relations in decision-making in Pesagi village, to increase women's participation in village decision- making, a comprehensive strategy is needed, including training and capacity building, setting quotas for women's representation, and active support from the female village head. So that women can contribute more significantly to village development and ensure gender-equitable policies.

Corruption in Indonesia, especially in government, is often associated with structural and cultural factors that contribute to corruption. This study aims to describe the knowledge of women in rural areas who play a role in both local government and social activities that intersect with local government in dealing with various corrupt practices that can occur in village government structures. The research approach is quantitative with a descriptive research type. Data were collected by interviewing 50 women who live in Menganti Village, Gresik Regency, East Java. Most of the women who were respondents worked as village government officials and village cadres who ran village government programs. This study began by giving questionnaires to respondents about their understanding of matters related to village fund management and corrupt practices. The second stage, in-depth interviews and observations related to their daily activities, were conducted. The study results showed that 78% of respondents understood corrupt acts, such as abuse of authority and embezzlement. However, 64% admitted to experiencing social or political pressure that influenced their decisions in maintaining integrity. As many as 52% of respondents stated that weak transparency and minimal supervision from the community opened up opportunities for corruption. Meanwhile, 60% of respondents said that rationalization practices—such as considering corrupt acts as “commonplace” in the bureaucracy—still occur in their environment. These findings confirm that although village women know about corruption, their decisions are still heavily influenced by the local social and political context. In addition, the lack of literacy among the general public regarding village fund management also strengthens the occurrence of maladministration and corruption practices at the local level.

This study aims to understand the relationship between social stratification and the political participation of Generation Z women in Pantai Bahagia Village and Medalkrisna Village, Bekasi Regency. The method used was a mixed-methods approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The political participation of Generation Z women was measured based on the forms of conventional, non-conventional, cultural, and digital participation. The research results indicate that there is variation in political participation based on social stratification, with the lower strata tending to be more active in conventional political participation, the middle strata being more active in digital political participation, and the upper strata being more involved in election administration. This study highlights the importance of creating an inclusive political environment to enhance young women’s political participation.

No abstract available

Why did village women who were victims of cadre sexual abuse refrain from making public denunciations of their abusers, while their husbands, fathers, and unrelated men did so? This article examines previously overlooked materials from the Socialist Education Movement (1962–66) to deepen our understanding of the gendered form of political participation that contributed to holding cadres more accountable. Although the extant scholarship has used the term “patriarchal socialism” to explain the lack of women's participation in politics in the Mao era, this article argues that certain gendered practices shaped villager participation. It proposes three characteristics involved in “gendered denunciation”: First, gendered mobilization, the potential for domestic violence, and previous failures to bring down the accused cadres all kept the abused women from making public denunciations. Second, these women's husbands and fathers made public denunciations to regain their mianzi (“face”) that they felt had been lost in the sexual abuse of their female family members. Third, unrelated men who themselves had suffered from the cadre violence and the lack of privileged access to scarce goods exposed the cadres’ sexual misconduct at public meetings.

In China’s urban-rural dual development pattern and the process of industrialization and urbanization, a large number of young and middle-aged men in rural areas have moved to cities and towns to work. Both permanent population and agricultural labor force in rural areas have presented the characteristics of feminization, and rural women have become the main force of rural development. However, rural women are still in a subordinate position in rural political participation, and it is difficult for them to play their subjective role. In 2019, China issued an official document to promote the modernization of rural governance which reflects China’s feature of coordinated rural governance by multiple subjects. Therefore, this paper assumes that the rural multi-subject governance system proposed by China provides a good opportunity to construct the subjectivity of Chinese rural women’s political participation. By the methods of gender analysis, comparative analysis and literature analysis, this paper explores methods to construct the subjectivity of rural women’s political participation under the background of the modernization of rural governance from the construction of rural women’s subjectivity by themselves and the participation of all parties of the state and society in order to improve the level of Chinese rural women’s political participation, narrow the gap between rural gender political participation, promote the process of gender equality in political participation, promote the political democratization of China’s rural areas, and achieve their own comprehensive development.

This study, based on the 2021 China General Social Survey (CGSS), examines how different forms of political participation–spanning behavior, attitude, and affiliation –shape perceptions of grassroots governance effectiveness in safety, convenience, and social atmosphere. Framed within the conceptual lens of social work, which emphasizes community engagement and service-oriented participation, the study uses multinomial ordered logistic regression and uncovers three key insights. First, participatory initiatives facilitated through social work–related community contexts amplify collective confidence in safety and atmosphere but paradoxically undermine convenience evaluations, revealing a procedural legitimacy paradox when community services fall short. Second, strong political attitudes cultivated through community-based outreach uniformly predicts satisfaction with safety and atmosphere, functioning as a critical accountability mechanism, especially among urban women engaged in local support programs. Third, familial political ties intersect with community networks to show generational asymmetry: paternal affiliations, often reinforced by male-led committees, predict atmosphere perceptions, while maternal ties channeled through women’s groups diminish convenience satisfaction, reflecting entrenched authoritarian familism. Control variables reveal that education predicts convenience perceptions but erodes safety and atmosphere evaluations, as more educated citizens identify gaps between policy intent and delivery; urban residency also polarizes governance expectations through differential access to community engagement platforms. Stable demographic patterns emerge, with gender and household registration maintaining consistent directional effects. To address these dynamics, we propose differentiated participation ecosystems that leverage social work principles and community networks: (1) education–governance dialogues mediated by community practitioners; (2) voting–service audits coordinated through civic coalitions; (3) citizen panels empowering skeptical urban women; and (4) familial governance scaffolding through social work alliances, leveraging paternal heritage programs and matrifocal budget reallocation. These strategies transform social work–based engagement into a precision tool for governance optimization across urban–rural, gender, and generational divides.

The Chinese government is actively promoting the rural revitalization strategy and has put forward more comprehensive requirements for rural grassroots governance. In China, the rural grassroots governments refer to township governments and village committees in rural areas. However, the establishment of villagers’ trust in the grassroots government is facing long-term and complex impacts brought about by gender inequality. Especially in underdeveloped areas, this has become a key factor restricting the trust in the grassroots government. Therefore, in-depth exploration of the impact of women’s labor participation on trust in the grassroots government and its mechanism is of great significance for promoting gender equality and achieving modernization of rural governance. Based on this, this paper uses the data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2014 to 2020 and employs a panel data model to demonstrate the effect of women’s labor participation on trust in the rural grassroots government. Subsequently, the paper uses a mechanism test model to examine the role of gender equality concepts in the main influence mechanism. The research finds that an increase in women’s labor participation significantly enhances their trust in the rural grassroots government. The results of the mechanism test show that gender equality concepts have a moderating effect, weakening the overall effect of women’s labor participation on trust in the rural grassroots government. The results of the heterogeneity analysis indicate that for women with an education duration of ≤12 years, the impact of their labor participation on trust in the rural grassroots government is more significant. Additionally, for women under the age of 40, the impact of their labor participation on trust in the rural grassroots government is also more significant. Based on these findings, this paper provides suggestions and policy references from aspects such as promoting the modernization of rural grassroots governance capabilities, promoting women’s labor participation, strengthening gender equality education, and optimizing the willingness to distribute household labor. Plain language summary This paper uses the data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2014 to 2020 and employs a panel data model to demonstrate the effect of women’s labor participation on trust in the rural grassroots government. Subsequently, the paper uses a mechanism test model to examine the role of gender equality concepts in the main influence mechanism. The research finds that an increase in women’s labor participation significantly enhances their trust in the rural grassroots government. The results of the mechanism test show that gender equality concepts have a moderating effect, weakening the overall effect of women’s labor participation on trust in the rural grassroots government. The results of the heterogeneity analysis indicate that for women with an education duration of ≤12 years, the impact of their labor participation on trust in the rural grassroots government is more significant. Additionally, for women under the age of 40, the impact of their labor participation on trust in the rural grassroots government is also more significant. Based on these findings, this paper provides suggestions and policy references from aspects such as promoting the modernization of rural grassroots governance capabilities, promoting women’s labor participation, strengthening gender equality education, and optimizing the willingness to distribute household labor.

This paper examines the formation and suppression of a digital feminist counterpublic through the case of Wang Huiling, a rare and outspoken content creator whose critiques of patriarchal marriage norms foreground the experiences of rural and working-class women in China. While digital feminist activism has gained increased visibility in recent years, it continues to prioritize urban, educated, and middle-class perspectives – leaving women from marginalized socio-economic backgrounds largely excluded from feminist discourses and representations. Focusing on Bilibili.com , this study analyzes how Wang challenges the dominant ‘leftover women’ discourse from a subaltern perspective, and how the platform’s distinctive bullet comment (弹幕) feature facilitates networked engagement that amplifies this counterpublic’s voice. Yet, the same technological infrastructure that enables feminist expression also facilitates a distributed network of control , where platform governance, state censorship, and participatory surveillance converge. Wang’s intersectional feminist critique experiences intensified scrutiny and precarity under Billibili’s logic of bidirectional governance, culminating in the total erasure of this counterpublic.

Having goals such as gaining reputation and obtaining a promotion motivates grassroots cadres in China to innovate, resulting in better local governance-related performance. However, perceived personal risk related to accountability systems fosters a mentality of blame avoidance among these cadres, hindering their willingness to innovate. This study applied a cross-sectional questionnaire survey and explored the relationship between goals (including egoistic and altruistic goals) and innovation motivation as well as the moderating effects of blame avoidance. To this end, an online investigation was conducted of 464 grassroots cadres (32% women) aged 20 to 62 years from a region in central China. The results showed that having goals overall, as well as having egoistic and altruistic goals, is significantly positively associated with innovation motivation. Blame avoidance orientation weakened the association between altruistic goals and innovation motivation. Based on the study results, we consider that institutional optimization requires greater fault tolerance to prompt innovation among grassroots cadres and greater rewards for altruistic-oriented innovation to improve innovation motivation. Plain Language Summary How Different Priorities Drive Innovation Among Public Servants: Evidence from a Chinese City Study This study, using questionnaire survey data obtained from 464 grassroots cadres in a region in central China, aimed to explore the relationship between various diverse goals and innovative behavior among Chinese grass-roots cadres, as well as the influence of a blame avoidance orientation on this relationship. We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because it showed that having goals overall (and goals subdivided into altruistic and egotistic goals) was positively associated with innovation motivation. A blame avoidance orientation was also found to negatively moderate the relationship between altruistic goals and innovation motivation, which means that a high blame avoidance orientation weakens the positive relationship between goals and innovation motivation. Further, we believe that this paper will be of interest to the readership of your journal because it provides evidence-based research confirming the importance of individual goals in positively influencing innovation behavior among Chinese grassroots cadres, and that a blame avoidance orientation weakens innovation motivation among those with altruistic goals. The study’s findings provide a reference for designing governance systems that appropriately consider the influence of egotistic and altruistic goals as a driving mechanism on public service innovation motivation among grassroots cadres and in guiding further research.

This article explores strategies for building grassroots leadership capacity through dialogical learning, collective empowerment, and sustained community legitimacy. It critiques conventional training models that prioritize donor-driven technical skills over cultural knowledge and relational accountability. Drawing on Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed and peer learning traditions, it argues that effective capacity-building must integrate experiential learning, reflection, and collective praxis. The discussion highlights the importance of inclusivity, addressing barriers linked to gender, class, ethnicity, and generational hierarchies. It also examines the paradox of dual legitimacy—where institutional recognition can both empower leaders and erode their local trust. Examples from women’s cooperatives, diaspora networks, and youth movements illustrate how participatory learning can reinforce both autonomy and institutional engagement. Ultimately, the article calls for leadership development frameworks that safeguard community accountability while enabling grassroots actors to engage effectively with global systems of governance and advocacy.

Abstract Ethnic minority women in rural parts of China remain excluded from many pathways to economic and social success, including most forms of traditional education. While technical and vocational education and training (TVET) offers an alternative, it carries a degree of stigma and its benefits for these communities are not well-documented. This study uses structured interviews with TVET graduates in a small Inner Mongolian city to explore the benefits and limitations of vocational training for the cultural, economic, and social empowerment of ethnic minority women. Ten participants in the city of Eu-Qi participated in semi-structured interviews. They reported on their experiences in secondary and tertiary TVET programs, their post-graduation careers, and life choices. The study identifies an overall positive trend of empowerment, growth, and self-actualization: these young women lived better lives, had more opportunities, greater friendships, and far more freedom than did women of the previous generation who had remained in rural villages in the surrounding parts of the Mongolian plateau. The systemic barriers they faced were still substantial, however, including a limited local job market and the stigmas attached to vocational schools. Future work should systematically evaluate how well China’s vocational training policies are meeting stated goals, especially in ethnic minority regions.

No abstract available

Building a modern socialist country in all respects presents the most arduous and complex tasks in rural areas. As a bridge and link between the Party and the youth, the Communist Youth League (CYL) organizations in universities bear significant responsibilities in advancing rural revitalization. This study constructs a theoretical foundation for university CYL organizations to support rural revitalization through theoretical, historical, and practical dimensions. It proposes that such organizations should focus on five strategic dimensions—industrial revitalization, talent revitalization, cultural revitalization, ecological revitalization, and organizational revitalization—to guide practical actions.

No abstract available

No abstract available

Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study develops a framework comprising five core constructs: rural revitalization cognition, behavioral attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and willingness to participate. Drawing on the “Furong Scholars • Rural Revitalization” program in Hunan, China, we surveyed 634 college students and employed SEM, mediation analysis, and DEMATEL to explore the micro-level motivational mechanisms influencing their participation willingness. The key findings are as follows: (1) Individual and social factors significantly affect willingness to participate. Female students, those with urban household registration, humanities and social sciences majors, students with higher academic qualifications, and those with stronger political consciousness exhibit greater willingness to participate. (2) Rural revitalization cognition is central to the motivational system as a strong causal factor (centrality = 1.115), positively influencing behavioral attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and participation willingness. (3) Behavioral attitude (p < 0.05), subjective norm (p < 0.001), and perceived behavioral control (p < 0.001) all significantly enhance willingness to participate, with subjective norm and perceived behavioral control showing stronger path effects. Moreover, these three variables act as key mediators between rural revitalization cognition and willingness to participate, forming crucial motivational pathways. These findings deepen the theoretical understanding of college students’ behavioral motivations in the context of rural revitalization and offer empirical insights for designing more targeted and effective policy interventions. Specifically, enhancing students’ cognition of rural revitalization, strengthening social normative support, and improving self-efficacy are identified as vital levers for increasing their willingness to engage in rural development initiatives.

Current research shows two oversights regarding female cultural subjectivity in rural change: it overlooks the role of intangible cultural heritage in reshaping gender roles. It fails to examine women’s governance in overcoming the “family-market” divide. This paper examines the Dai textile craftsmanship in Mang Village, Yunnan, China, employing a case study approach to develop a “cultural aggregation- subject activation” framework to elucidate the interactive dynamics between rural revitalization and women’s development. The findings of this study indicate the following: First, textile techniques reconstruct cultural space through the triad of material production, ritual performance, and pattern narration, encouraging women to evolve from “family producers” to “cultural meaning creators,” thereby reinterpreting ethnic memory through symbolic engagement. Second, women leverage traditional mutual aid networks to engage in rural governance, transforming “domestic” labor into organizational and coordination skills, thereby exhibiting distinctive community mobilization in the development of cultural spaces and the planning of folk activities, culminating in a capacity progression from “skill inheritors” to “cultural operators.” Third, the industrialization of handicrafts yields combined benefits in terms of economic empowerment, cultural continuity, and community solidarity. Women employ flexible production models to harmonize family responsibilities with public participation, which not only mitigates the effects of industrialization on rural regions but also reconciles the divide between tradition and modernity through the role of cultural intermediaries, fostering a symbiotic structure of “policy-culture” dual empowerment. This research demonstrates how rural women convert local knowledge into revitalization impetus by activating cultural subjectivity, offering theoretical and practical pathways for reconstructing an inclusive governance framework.  Article visualizations:

Her power refers to the unique influence women exert in social development. For rural grassroots female cadres, it manifests as promoting governance innovation with flexibility and tenacity. They combine delicate empathy with bold responsibility: patiently mediating neighborhood conflicts and caring for vulnerable groups, while courageously leading industrial development and policy implementation. As a link between policies and villagers, they break gender barriers, demonstrating dedication in poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, serving as a vital force in grassroots governance and a vivid example of women holding up half the sky. Against the dual backdrop of rural revitalization and deepening gender equality, this study examines howChina Women's News(2022-2025) constructs discourse around rural female cadres through content and discourse analysis. It finds that the newspaper portrays them as capable, dedicated, and innovative, highlighting their core role in rural governancedriving economic growth and boosting community cohesion. While gradually incorporating gender-inclusive discourse to break stereotypes, it insufficiently explores their structural gender dilemmas, such as resource access barriers and conflicts with traditional roles. The research suggests the current discourse, while affirming female leadership, needs stronger critical reflection on systemic gender challenges.

Family farming plays a strategic role in Brazilian rural development, especially in the state of Santa Catarina, where small farms predominate. However, factors such as the aging of the rural population, the exodus of young people, and the underrepresentation of women pose challenges to the sector's sustainability. This article analyzes the Youth and Women in Action Program, implemented by the Santa Catarina state government through the Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock, which aims to encourage young people to remain in rural areas and strengthen the autonomy of women farmers. The methodology used involves a bibliographic and documentary review, based on institutional reports and secondary data. The results indicate significant progress in productive inclusion and the development of rural leaders, although the program has faced limitations regarding territorial coverage and adherence to processes. It is concluded that integrated public policies, focusing on youth and gender, are essential for strengthening family farming and the sustainable development of rural areas.

PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to establish whether trust plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises in under-developed financial markets in sub-Saharan Africa. The main focus of this paper is to specifically test whether relational social capital built by young women from homogeneous and heterogeneous groups can be more effective in promoting economic exchange in under-developed financial markets since interpersonal trust has recently been found to harbor group collusion, especially among kins. Overall, the paper distinguishes trust among individuals based on their age, gender and ethnic diversity.Design/methodology/approachThis study used structural equation model to test whether trust significantly mediates the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises using Analysis of Moments Structures (AMOS) based on recommendations by Hair et al. (2022) and Baron and Kenny (1986).FindingsThe findings from this study revealed that trust significantly and positively mediate the relationship between access to microcredit and survival of young women microenterprises in under-developed financial markets in sub-Saharan Africa. Trust developed from relational social capital among young women from homogeneous and heterogeneous groups create a stronger basis for economic exchange in under-developed financial markets.Research limitations/implicationsWhile this study generates a positive evidence on the impact of access to microcredit on survival of young women microenterprises, the results cannot be over emphasized and generalized because the data were collected from only a single developing country. Future research may extend the current study to include other developing countries to make a more justified comprehensive analysis.Practical implicationsThe findings from this study highlights the importance of using a blend of social policy guided by norms combined with formal regulations as an informal contract enforcement mechanism to achieve efficient economic exchange in under-developed financial markets. Relational social capital formed on the basis of informal norms among groups from diverse population can supplement formal laws to enforce contractual obligations in microcredit access, especially among youthful microentrepreneurs, who seems to have stronger relational behaviors than adults. Financial institutions such as banks should use informal contract enforcement system to increase the scope of financial inclusion of young microentrepreneurs, especially in unbanked rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive where formal laws are weak and sometimes not functional. The findings also show that younger people have a stronger relationship behavior than adults. Therefore, policy should create structures that can promote social activities among youth. Governments in sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive through their respective Ministry of Gender, Labour and Youth Affairs should create youth clubs that can increase interaction and relational social capital among the younger population to derive economic empowerment. sub-Saharan African governments, Uganda inclusive should rely more on social policy based on relational social capital as a missing link to promote and achieve economic development.Originality/valueThis paper provides an evidence on the unique role of age, gender and ethnicity in information sharing and exchange based on social policy in the financial market to limit group collusion. The authors indicate that diversity in relational social capital among young women microentrepreneurs prohibit strategic defaults, which promotes access to microcredit for survival of women micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through socialization. High level of interaction among younger women microentrepreneurs from homogeneous and heterogeneous groups allow them to close the information gap to timely meet borrowing contractual obligations to derive economic benefits. The paper shows that younger women have more trust than older women while searching for economic value through socialization. In fact, social policy can wholly supplement formal policy to promote growth and survival of young women microenterprises, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive.

SDGs Desa are the policy framework of village development and village community empowerment to achieve sustainable development goals in Indonesia. SDGs Desa in 2030 has one of the targets, which is to community in a fair position without discrimination against women in all aspects of life. In addition, equal opportunities are opened for women in public affairs. This can be achieved by the achievement of all indicators of SDGs Desa goal 5 ‘Involvement of Village Women’ based on the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration of the Republic Indonesia. The involvement of women’s roles in village development is influenced by various things, one of which is a barrier. This is due to women’s responsibilities in carrying out domestic roles so that some of them have limitations to be actively involved in village development. Therefore, this research aims to identify inhibiting factors of women’s roles in development in Bejijong Village, Trowulan Sub-district, Mojokerto Regency, East Java Province. The research was conducted using a deductive qualitative method through field observations, interviews with stakeholders, and documentation. Stakeholders interviewed included government, village organizations, and non-governmental organizations. The results showed that there are inhibiting factors in the form of demands for domestic roles. Even so, village development activities involving the role of women continue because there are women in Bejijong Village who can overcome these inhibiting factors and are active in the public sphere. In overcoming these inhibiting factors, women are supported by family support and adequate facilities from the village government. Keywords: women’s role, rural development, sustainable development; inhibiting’s factors mapping, Bejijong Village, Mojokerto Regency.

Social networks shape behavior, disseminate information, and undergird collective action within communities. Consequently, they can be very valuable in the design of effective interventions to improve community well-being. But any exogenous intervention in networked groups, including ones that just involve the provision of information, can also possibly modify the underlying network structure itself, and some interventions are indeed designed to do so. While social networks obey certain fundamental principles (captured by network-level statistics, such as the degree distribution or transitivity level), they can nevertheless undergo change across time, as people form and break ties with each other within an overall population. Here, using a randomized controlled trial in 110 remote Honduran villages involving 8,331 people, we evaluated the effects of a 22-month public health intervention on pre-existing social network structures. We leverage a two-stage randomized design, where a varying fraction of households received the intervention in each village. In low-dosage villages (5%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) compared to untreated villages (0%), over a two-year period, individuals who received the intervention tended to sever both inbound and outbound ties with untreated individuals whom they previously trusted for health advice. Conversely, in high-dosage villages (50%, 75%, and 100%), treated individuals increased both their inbound and outbound ties. Furthermore, although the intervention was health-focused, it also reshaped broader friendship and financial ties. In aggregate, the imposition of a novel health information regime in rural villages (as a kind of social institution) led to a significant rewiring in individuals particular connections, but it still had a limited effect on the overall global structure of the village-wide social networks.

Since the launch of Law No. 6/2014 regarding villages, scholarly concerns on village studies are growing. However, studies focusing on gender equality in Village Law implementation are still few. This article discusses the responses of the village government to gender problems in their respective areas. Based on field research in two villages in Java, namely Panggungharjo and Lerep, this article recognizes that there is greater attention on gender issues since the implementation of the law. However, village heads still dominate village policymaking. Further, although gaining some supports, gender issues are still placed as the secondary among the village development priorities. They also lack of empowerment programs that will have a direct impact on the improvement of gender equality. Considering these criticisms, there is a crucial need for the national government to issue regulations that will encourage a stronger assertion of gender equality in Village Law implementation.

This study investigates the roles, contributions, and challenges encountered by women in the development of Pajambon Village, located in Kramatmulya District, Kuningan Regency, West Java. Employing a qualitative research methodology, the study explores the equal involvement of both women and men in the community, with no discernible gender disparities in their participation. The findings reveal that women in Pajambon Village make substantial contributions across various domains, including the management of household economies, participation in social activities, and involvement in the village governance structure. Additionally, women prioritize the education of their children and actively engage in workshops aimed at enhancing their skills and knowledge for village development. The local government has established a women’s empowerment group, the Pemberdayaan dan Kesejahteraan Keluarga (PKK), which currently consists of 14 members. This group is further supported and encouraged by the government to engage in entrepreneurial activities that contribute to their economic independence. The study highlights the critical role of women in fostering community development and advancing sustainable rural progress.

This study examines the process of women’s social transformation in the village public sphere through their involvement as members of Credit Union (CU) Andalan in Singgamanik Village. Women’s participation in the CU organization opens access to knowledge, social networks, and bargaining positions in decision-making processes, both within the household and village governance structures. This research employs a qualitative approach with data collection techniques including in-depth interviews, observations, and document studies. Pierre Bourdieu’s perspective on capital and social arena is used to analyze the dynamics of women’s shifting positions in the social structure. The findings reveal that women’s social transformation occurs through three main processes: (1) Institutional support from the CU, which provides access to education, training, and organizational participation; (2) The enhancement of women’s capacity and financial literacy, which strengthens their confidence to manage resources and make decisions; and (3) Women’s solidarity networks, which build collective power to confront the persistence of patriarchal cultural norms. These changes shift women from being passive listeners in the public sphere to becoming active actors capable of voicing opinions and influencing village decision-making. Thus, the CU functions as a strategic arena for reconstructing gender roles and reshaping power relations at the local level.

Women’s participation in village councils in East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, reflects a complex balance between matrilineal traditions and male-dominated political authority. Although Khasi women inherit lineage and property, their involvement in formal decision-making bodies such as the Dorbar Shnong remains limited. This paper examines the historical, political, and socio-cultural factors influencing women’s representation in these local institutions. Drawing on secondary sources, the study highlights how customary norms, colonial interventions, legal developments, and changing socio-economic conditions shape women’s roles in community governance. The discussion also explores emerging debates and reforms aimed at expanding gender inclusion.

Women in Meghalaya khasi matrilineal society face limited participation and decision-making authority in the Dorbar Shnong, a traditional village council governed by male-centric customary laws. This study assesses women's involvement using mixed-method research, highlighting socio-cultural, institutional, and legal barriers to promote inclusive governance.

Collaborative governance is an appropriate concept for building community development through community empowerment. Empowerment activities are a good first step in building a strategy to achieve increased community welfare and the abilities of people who experience inadequate living. Segarajaya Village is a coastal village, and the majority of coastal communities have educational, social, and economic limitations. Women’s empowerment increases the skills and strengths that women have so that they can become independent and creative. This study aims to analyze how collaborative governance empowers women in Segarajaya Village through the Seraci batik craftsmen group. The theory used in this research is the collaboration theory from Ansel and Gash, which suggests that there are four indicators that influence the implementation of collaboration: initial conditions, institutional design, facilitative leadership, and collaborative process. This study uses qualitative research methods, with a descriptive approach. The results of this research show that the collaborative process of empowering women in coastal areas through the Seraci batik craftsman group in Segarajaya Village has gone quite well, although the implementation of collaborative governance is still not running optimally. Existing collaboration tends to be less flexible, lacks trust, and is dominated by the private sector, which becomes an obstacle to collaboration, resulting in the implementation of collaborative governance not being optimal.

The article presents a unique case study where the principle of territoriality is applied in war-torn Syria (2012), particularly in the northern part of the country, where self-governance has taken root. In the territories of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), known as Rojava, the population has established an exemplary form of direct democracy (KNAPP ET AL. 2016; CEMGIL & HOFFMANN 2016; DIRIK ET AL. 2017). Within this context, the Kurdish Women’s Liberation Movement (KJK) founded the women’s eco-village Jinwar, built by women for women to live according to communal principles. The village was established near the Turkish border, an area threatened by potential attacks from Turkish military forces. This active research experience allowed the author to participate in both the construction works (2018) and the communal life (2019/20). The model of reconciled coexistence of Democratic Confederalism, which supports the village’s experience, constitutes the foundation for evolving a free society capable of finding a new balance with its territory.

This study explores the impact of traditional gender roles on female education in Churachandpur, a district located in the state of Manipur, India. By examining local cultural beliefs and gender norms, this research aims to understand how societal expectations affect girls' access to education. Drawing upon a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys, the study investigates the perspectives of key stakeholders such as church leaders, village chiefs, government employees, academicians, women leaders, and youth. The data is collected from 100 respondents, providing a representative sample from different sectors of the community. The findings reveal that entrenched gender norms and cultural practices significantly hinder girls' educational opportunities, limiting their potential for personal growth and socio-economic advancement. This research highlights the need for a shift in community attitudes toward gender equality in education and calls for targeted interventions to empower girls through education.

This article aims to enhance understanding of young women’s experiences in political participation by examining their practices of ‘informal leadership’ within Italian and German radical grassroots organizations. It explores the biographical pathways that lead young women to assume leadership roles and highlights the often invisible practices of responsibility that challenge traditional power dynamics. Drawing on gender and feminist studies, the article reveals how gendered practices of responsibility emerge in the analysed participatory settings and how gender biases obscure the recognition of certain leadership practices. In so doing, the article also examines the broader implications for understanding youth participation. It argues that dominant discourses, which emphasize contemporary young people’s disinterest in taking responsibility in civic and political spheres, overlook how and where young people assume responsibility outside formal political institutions and fail to consider the impact of various inequalities on young people’s ability to take on responsibilities.

The Anti-Arrack Movement of early 1990s Andhra Pradesh is a compelling case of grassroots feminist mobilization translating into substantive policy change. Spearheaded by rural women across caste and class divisions, the movement arose in response to the devastating socioeconomic impacts of rampant alcohol consumption — from crippled family incomes to intensified domestic violence — even as the state enriched itself on arrack excise revenues. Drawing on historical accounts, this paper traces how women’s shared experiences of deprivation and abuse coalesced into a sustained public campaign that forced the state to ban arrack in 1993 (and adopt total prohibition by 1995). Situating the Anti-Arrack agitation within a broader context of bottom-up governance reform, the study illustrates how non-elite actors can reshape state priorities through persistent civic action. The movement’s evolution from localized, literacy-driven awakening to state-wide protests (marches, sit-ins, and media campaigns) underscores the agency of marginalized women in reconfiguring state-citizen relations. Ultimately, the movement’s trajectory offers vital insights into how collective action from the grassroots can disrupt entrenched power structures and redefine the very agenda of development.

Scientific debates surrounding feminism in the 21st century increasingly call for mainstream feminism to include the voices of non-white women, as well as looking also at the work and expressions of feminism taking place in the Global South. While progress has been made in the United States in acknowledging the work and demands of non-white feminism, Europe lags behind in recognizing and amplifying the feminist contributions and demands of its largest non-migrant ethnic minority, the Roma. This article presents findings from qualitative fieldwork conducted with 23 Romani women and young adults organized in civic organizations across Spain, exploring how they understand and experience feminism. Despite working towards gender equality among Romani men and women, as well as equality between Romani and nonRomani women, many do not identify with dominant representations of feminism. Our results highlight three key elements of what these women would claim as Romani feminism: the role of men as allies, claiming freedom as women as a central aspect of Roma cultural identity, and advocating for a feminism that promotes and safeguards the idea of equality of differences.

Women play a crucial role in shaping the society and especially in a democratic state. The contribution of Women and their role in the family as well as in the economic development and social transformation are pivotal. Grassroots governance plays a pivotal role in fostering local development, empowering communities, and ensuring the inclusiveness of marginalized groups, particularly women. This research focuses on the impact of grassroots governance on women and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the Hinjilicut block, a region in Ganjam district, Odisha, India. The study explores how local governance structures have contributed to women's empowerment, the functioning of SHGs, and their socio-economic outcomes. As previous research works by different research scholars, it comes out that women have a very lesser role to play in the governance. But now the scenario has changed under the regime of Naveen Patnaik, the ex-Chief Minister of Odisha. The role of women in grassroot level governance has improved by examining policy implementations, leadership participation

This study explores the impact of Kudumbashree, an innovative programme aimed at poverty alleviation and the empowerment of women in Kerala, especially on the representation of women in local governance. Kudumbashree has played a pivotal role in enabling women to navigate and overcome traditional gender limitations by fostering participation in self-help groups, micro-enterprises, and governance systems by prioritizing collective action, community involvement, and leadership development. The programme has developed the confidence among women, allowing them to advocate for their rights and shape policy outcomes firmly. This study highlights the critical role of supportive governmental persistent advocacy in securing the sustainability of political empowerment of women in Kerala. The Kudumbashree programme represent an effective strategy for integrating economic development with political empowerment highlighting the transformative capacity of grassroots movements in fostering inclusive governance.

Since return to Nigeria to civilian administration in 1999, women have been making efforts to access political leadership space with little progress.  With international and national instruments to ensure more women gain inroad into politics, there is a dismal record in this aspect. Anchoring the paper on theory of political participation, the paper explored the possibility of gender depoliticisation through the involvement of young women in politics. Desk research method which utilised secondary sources of data collection was employed.  The paper argued that in spite of the fact that young women are involved in activism,they are grossly underrepresented in political leadership. Culture, political acrimony, stigmatisation, religion, lack of finance,  political violence, etc., constitute barriers to young women representation in politics.  The paper contended that there is always political inequality between women and men, particularly among the youngest generations.  The paper concluded that young women are at risk of not being included and favourably considered in the decision making process, as non-participation in politics poses a threat to their gender's dignified existence in the body polity. It recommended that socio-economic barriers including culture, religion, patriarchal belief, political acrimony, insecurity, etc., should be addressed.  Empowerment should start from the family to re-orientate on the social barriers affecting young women participation in leadership positions.  Girl-child education needs prioritisation to develop potentials, particularly contribution in decision making process at all levels of governance, among others.

Climate change governance increasingly emphasizes local-level decision making, where communities directly experience climate risks and implement adaptation strategies. Within this context, the role of women has gained growing attention due to their close interaction with natural resources, household management responsibilities, and community leadership roles. This paper examines the role of women in local climate governance and decision-making processes using secondary data drawn from international reports, national policy documents, academic literature, and institutional datasets. The study highlights how women’s participation contributes to more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable climate actions at the grassroots level. Evidence from global and Indian contexts indicates that women’s involvement enhances community resilience, improves resource management, and strengthens climate adaptation outcomes. However, structural barriers such as socio-cultural norms, limited access to decision-making platforms, and inadequate institutional support continue to restrict women’s effective participation. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for gender-responsive policies, capacity-building initiatives, and inclusive governance frameworks to strengthen women’s role in local climate governance.

Encouraging sustainable community development is a critical aspect of the work of agencies and communities and involves, in the case of contrasting indigenous and non-indigenous value frameworks, a range of challenges. This case study, involving the first twelve months of a Fijian provincial women’s project, illustrates the nature of these challenges. From initial planning to implementation, the case demonstrates that the process of empowerment and skills building is possible in a context where the methodology is adapted to meet the needs of the target community. An important aspect of sustainability here is encouraging those accustomed to a culture of silence to articulate and record their aspirations, their needs and their objectives. Thus, traditional dependence upon an organizational history locked in human memory needed, in this case, to be supplemented by transparent, recorded systems of governance and the development of complementary functions in simple organisational frameworks. This case is an illustration of an indigenous experience which has much to offer in relation to ongoing indigenous development generally and much also to gain from the broader framework of indigenous development experiences elsewhere.

Despite growing scholarly interest in the identities and experiences of girls, little attention has been paid to the identities and experiences of rural girls, and in particular how girls’ subjectivities are discursively constituted in rural spaces. Using interviews and focus group discussions with girls and young women who attended a girls’ empowerment program, this paper draws on feminist poststructuralism and positioning theory to examine how rural gendered subjectivities are constructed and negotiated by girls and young women within the social, spatial, and discursive boundaries of a rural Canadian community. I examine how the girls and young women positioned themselves and were positioned by others as “small town girl” and “country girl” subjects, and how rural positionality was accomplished through invoking real and imagined notions of more urban “others.” It is through these contrasts to urban subjecthood that the variability of rural positionality is made visible. The findings of this study complicate and extend the dominant narrative of the urban-rural binary, and gendered identities and performances within rural spaces, by demonstrating the plurality of feminine rural subjectivity. This study offers new applications for the role of girls’ empowerment programs in shaping girls’ identities, experiences, and perspectives.

The national Youth Development Index (YDI) is still fluctuating. One of the provinces with a lower percentage change in YDI than expected is West Java, which is at the bottom of the list. This is ironic considering that 20% of Indonesia's total youth reside in West Java. In fact, during period 2018-2023, many programs were launched which focused on youth development, such as Patriot Desa. The presence of the Patriot Desa Program did not make the value of Youth Participation and Leadership increase. Therefore, this research aims to find out how the Patriot Desa Program impacts youth leadership development in West Java. The methodology used in this research is qualitative with a case study approach. The research was conducted in Sukaharja and Sukamakmur Village, Sukamakmur Sub-district, Bogor Regency. Data collection techniques through interviews the representatives of the West Java DPMD, Patriot Desa, village secretaries, youth organizations, and local champions. The program followed by young people who became Patriot Desas was able to have an impact on the development of individual and social leadership. In particular, the village patriots who served in the research locations were highly dedicated with a self-sacrificing attitude and always collaborated with various parties, so that they were able to bring about changes in the village in social, economic and environmental aspects. However, these things are also inseparable from the influence of pre-deployment orientation and the role of the regional coordinator who is very supportive as a mentor. Youth involvement in community empowerment programs can be a means of developing youth leadership. Therefore, the government needs to involve more youth in other programs so that there is an increase in the domain value of youth participation and leadership.