Women on the Rise
Transformative Gender Identity of Returned Migrant Women in Contemporary China: Is "Coming Home" Possible?
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Yuchen Han
China’s economic miracle in the post-Mao era is greatly contributed to by the laborious work of the millions of rural-urban migrant factory girls. Driven by numerous social reasons, most of this group of women return to their places of origin after extended experiences in the urban centers. Nevertheless, the out-migration and urban experiences imprint the women with intensive dynamics and tensions of China’s transformation at all levels. Particularly, their gender identity is under perplexing transformation. This is firstly because of their economic independence and wide exposure to the diversity of gender discourses; secondly, they try to return to the rural home both physically and mentally, but they find it hard to re-adjust, although the rural home is also under transformation. This study is empirical-data-based, out from a half-year ethnographic research on “the lived experience of returnee migrant women in the fast-growing China’s hinterland.” The data discussed in this study, is based on a longitudinal participant observation on a returnee sister’s life upon return and her representation of her life story. This paper discusses how Maoist women’s liberation discourse, market-economy-oriented neoliberal discourse, and agricultural patriarchal value cooperate with one another, making imprints on contemporary Chinese rural women’s ideological world and guiding their construction of their gender roles; and meanwhile how the women react and perceive themselves.
Women's Empowerment in Post-social Conflict Areas: What's the Role for Enhancing Standard of Living in Poso District, Indonesia?
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Titik Sumarti Suyono, Ekawati Sri Wahyuni
Social conflict always affects the society, families, and women in different parts of the globe. These people have lost the cohesiveness of neighborhoods, family members, and property, even living in shelters, losing their jobs including agrarian resources, and facing poverty. On the other hand, social conflict is actually a force than can create social capital in the internal communities that are threatened by other communities and can improve welfare. Women have an important role in facing the impact of social conflict for the family and communities. This paper analyzes women's empowerment in agriculture and the creation of social capital as well as its relation to household living standards after social conflicts. The study was conducted in four different social communities experiencing social conflict in Poso District, Indonesia. This research used a quantitative and qualitative approach. The quantitative approach used survey methods. The qualitative approach used case study. The results show that in post-social conflicts women are increasingly empowered in agriculture and able to create social capital, but have not been able to achieve significant changes in household living standards. The presence of NGOs in building women’s schools has been an important role for women’s empowerment movement.
