Ziyuan Kexue (Apr 2025)
Integrated action mechanism of women's participation in rural residential environment governance: Embedded dual case analysis based on Sanmen County, Zhejiang Province
Abstract
[Objective] This study aims to explore how to fully activate women's agency and gender-specific strengths in rural residential environment governance, offering new strategies to enhance the effectiveness of environmental governance. [Methods] Drawing on ecofeminism, human-environment interaction theory, and actor network theory, this study constructs an analytical framework to deeply examine the forms and mechanisms of women's participation in rural residential environment governance, based on an embedded dual case study in Sanmen County. [Results] The key findings are as follows: (1) The synergy between top-down administrative instructions and bottom-up village initiatives has strengthened women's roles in environmental governance, positioning them as pivotal actors in rural residential environment governance; (2) The Women's Federation, serving as a hub linking the Party and government agencies, social organizations, and rural women, has established an integrated action mechanism by expanding its administrative and social functions in coordination and optimizing cross-sectoral resource allocation; (3) Through institutional empowerment, targeted task allocation, and socio-political incentives, rural women are systematically engaged in environmental governance, converting their gendered advantages—such as ecological insight, care ethics, and collaborative cohesion—into tangible improvements in environmental outcomes. [Conclusion] The integrated action mechanism, rooted in multi-level coordination and institutional empowerment, effectively activates women's intrinsic motivation to participate in rural residential environmental governance. It systematically addresses the dual dilemmas of fragmented resources and passive community engagement, fostering a reciprocal relationship between environmental improvement and gender equality. This study contributes both theoretical and practical insights toward a sustainable model for rural residential environmental governance.
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