Governance, Gender and the Appropriation of Natural Resources: A Case Study of ‘Left-Behind’ Women’s Collective Action in China

Abstract

China’s rapid urbanization has created large scale of population migration, resulting in many villages being dominated by “left-behind” women, and weak governance of those collectively owned resources. The situation has required these women to take up the functions of decision-making and governance as a remedial mechanism as well as a new path. Based on a case study in a typical hollowing-out village in central China, this paper explores an example of left-behind women’s collective action to prevent the over-exploitation of community and resources. It finds out that although traditionally excluded from public activities and marginalized, the “left-behind” women were able to mobilize and enhance collective action. When empowered, they are growing fast with endurance and courage, and as capable as anyone of defending the common-pool resources. It suggests that the left-behind women offer a new governance option for those population hollowing out rural areas.

Keywords:

• Collective action
• Common-pool resources
• left-behind women
• rural governance
• rural hollowing-out

Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments.

Additional information

Funding

We sincerely thank the funding support from FORHEAD (R45782/CN010) and the Visit Talent Program of FAO, Fudan University (C2016001).