The Disempowered Participation of the Women's Federation in International Development Projects

Since the era of reform and opening up, China has launched many large international and bilateral cooperative rural development projects—sometimes abbreviated as “agricultural support projects.” The participation of local-level Women’s Federations* is required during the implementation of such projects, including in the feasibility study, in drafting a plan for implementation, and in continuous monitoring and evaluation of the projects. This is a common request made by international funding organizations, and the request is clearly stated in all types of project documents. Representatives of various levels of the Women’s Federation are required to participate, particularly in various forums and discussions during the course of the project. However, at present, women’s participation tends to be limited to the set-up phase of projects and the initial implementation, and that is when the Women’s Federation most frequently makes an appearance. Women’s Federation staff members are rarely seen in the later or final stages of a project, and project staff cannot expect their participation. Under current arrangements, the Women’s Federation often participates only passively in large-scale international rural development projects, but this is not real participation, because they have not been “empowered.”