Luo Hongyu

Empowerment of Women in Community Governance: Exploring the Agency of Women in the Chinese Community Political Participation

This study explores the agency of women in China's community governance, focusing on how female grassroots officials and workers contribute to political participation and gender equality within an authoritarian regime. Despite limited representation of women in higher-level political bodies, such as the CCP Politburo and National People’s Congress, their involvement in community governance (she qu) is growing. Using Lipsky’s Street-Level Bureaucracy (SLB) theory, the research investigates how female officials utilize discretion to implement and innovate policies at the local level, enhancing their agency and advancing women's rights. Through qualitative methods, including comparative analysis of communities in Chengdu and Shanghai, the study seeks to understand how female community workers shape policies, empower women, and potentially bridge the gap between grassroots participation and broader political empowerment in China.

Selected publications

• Luo, Hongyu. (2024). The Dilemma of China’s Leftover Women: Navigating Conflicts in Traditional Ideology and Feminist Consciousness. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences. 35. 167-173. 10.54097/v580zz55.

Qualifications

• MA Sociology, University of Manchester (2022-2023)