A Study on the Protection of Rural Women’s Land Rights towards Land Circulation in Western China

Abstract

ABSTRACT Land rights of rural women serve as an important embodiment of those women's status and right. How well the land rights are protected represents an important symbol to measure the degree of civilization. However, in the practice of land circulation, land rights of rural women have been violated to varying degrees. Through the method of documentation, fieldwork and interviews, this paper discusses the problems about women's rights in land circulation in western China. The research showed that rural women's land contract authority, decision-making authority, and right of inheritance have all been damaged and violated in land circulation in this area. To further secure women's rights in the circulation of rural land, various measures should be taken, such as laws and regulations be improved, membership qualification of rural collective economic organizations be clearly defined, villager autonomy mechanism be upgraded, and education and training for women be strengthened.