C. (Chengxi) Liu, MSc

Women continue to be inadequately represented in formal governance, but they have been observed to be engaged in more informal activities which is crucial for the livability in rural areas under the context of budget cutting. Supervised by Tialda Haartsen, Bettina Bock and Billie de Haas, my Phd project aims to gain more insight into the diverse governance practices of rural women from their motivations and behaviors within both informal and formal ways in China, as well as in the Netherlands as a reference.

We analyse how socio-demographic characteristics, community satisfaction, and sense of community are associated with participation patterns among rural residents in the Netherlands. We also explore gender differences in community participation by comparing participation roles, fields, time spent, and motivations of women and men.

We also look at women becoming village cadres, who are elected appointed members of the local governance structure in China. We explore the opportunities, enablers and pathways that allow women to become village leaders is important for advancing women’s representation in local governance.

Besides formal participation in rural governance, we also interested in women's informal participation in their everyday life.