Women as Alternates: A Study on the Mechanism of Village Official Replacement in the Context of Rural Revitalization – A Case Study of Village J in Southeastern Hubei

Abstract 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.