Home >
The 7th Salon: Difficulties and Opportunities Encountered by Rural Women
2020-11-18 ICCSD

Project background

Over the past two years, the Party committee and government of Leishan county in Guizhou Province, together with Youcheng foundation and Sunac China, have carried out an array of projects to facilitate targeted poverty alleviation and rural revitalization in Longtang village, including the boutique homestay “Longtang Mountain House" and "Longtang Specialty ", its own agricultural products brand, and the "intangible cultural heritage workshop" inheriting embroidery and blue dyeing art which not only promotes the revitalization of Longtang village, but also pays special attention to the development of women in the village, providing them with a large number of training opportunities and empowering women via rural rejuvenation.

The 7th Salon:Difficulties and Opportunities Encountered by Rural Women_fororder_微信图片_20210318163256

Recently, the ICCSD and Youcheng Entrepreneur Poverty-Alleviation Foundation (hereinafter referred to as "Youcheng Foundation") jointly organized the "Creative 2030" Salon under the theme of " Difficulties and Opportunities Encountered by Rural Women ". Li Jiachen, Deputy Secretary General of Youcheng Foundation, as well as the host of the Salon, together with Huang Yin, a community development expert, and three women representatives from Longtang village, jointly discussed the path for sustainable development of women by focusing on women's development issues in rural areas and listening to women's stories in Longtang village, etc.

The 7th Salon:Difficulties and Opportunities Encountered by Rural Women_fororder_微信图片_202103181632561

Inauguration of the boutique homestay “Longtang Mountain House"

Innovative development of countryside tourism based on traditional lifestyle

In the face of the developing tourism, the three women representatives reached a consensus: traditional lifestyle of the Miao people must be preserved. The self-sufficient life of farming has been deeply imbedded into their blood. With the help of the government's policies such as "fishing in paddy fields" and "strengthening the cement ridge", the farming work has become more labor-saving. As the host Li Jiachen said, one of goals of the Longtang village project is to create more job opportunities so that villagers can make a balance between family and earning money without having to leave their home. The very reason why tourists visit Longtang village is that they want to experience the authentic local life and to be part of it. Of course, in order to provide a better catering and accommodation, the villagers will also make appropriate adjustments in their lives. When the peak season of tourism coincides with the busy farming season, such matters as threshing millet and transplanting rice seedlings will be postponed accordingly, and the reception work will come to the center of life.

The 7th Salon:Difficulties and Opportunities Encountered by Rural Women_fororder_微信图片_202103181632562

Panorama of Longtang village 

Women's power rises to accelerate rural revitalization

The project enables women to take care of both home and work. They live an increasingly fulfilling life and have more and more disposable income. "For we Miao girls all admire beauty, they will buy new clothes to celebrate festivals; money earned will be used to support children’s schooling and treat them with KFC!" Speaking of new life, women always show radiant smiles. After the local school was removed, the children had to attend school in the county and the women had to follow the young children to the county, which makes it difficult to carry out the work. Next, women want to open an "intangible cultural heritage workshop" in the county to make full use of their time in the county. Since the implementation of the project in Longtang village, women have made more friends thanks to their work providing more contact with the outside world, and can also make more money for their families. They themselves have much say in how to live their lives which is getting increasingly rewarding and fruitful. Longtang village also attracts tourists from all over the country because of their hardworking and hospitality. 

The 7th Salon:Difficulties and Opportunities Encountered by Rural Women_fororder_微信图片_202103181632563

"Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop" in the village

Senses of time collide and diverse cultures blend Villagers are used to the idyllic life style of working at sunrise and resting at sunset. With the absence of the concept of "deadline", they seem to lack the "sense of time". However, as Huang Yin, a community development expert, said, the so-called "sense of time" may not be that time is different, it is just that people's reference points vary. Urban people refer to "Beijing Standard Time", while villagers refer to "rhythm of life". The collision of time senses between urban and rural areas is an important manifestation of urban-rural cultural integration in which both sides should understand and adapt to each other. For example, Huang Yin mentioned that when doing projects related to countryside, they must firstly figure out the villagers' time allocation and master their daily schedule. During the daytime when projects could not be done, they even did farming work together with villagers. At the same time, she also said, "they should live in a more flexible manner." Appropriate changes to their carefree lifestyle in which they are living are necessary.

Tackle development dilemma to revitalize rural economy Huang Yin added that: Villagers revere and preserve the traditional way of life with the heartwarming lifestyle on the top, paying more attention to affections, interpersonal contacts, mutual help spirit, however, entertainment, and common memories and spiritual home are also much more needed. However, wealth is also a necessity of life. Therefore, villagers should also improve their service by putting "quality" over "quantity", so as to satisfy tourists and attract more people. Meanwhile, we can also draw experience from some villages in Southeast Asian countries where villagers devote more time and efforts to handicrafts, and spend longer time polishing more traditional crafts for higher returns. Li Jiachen concluded: for the locals of Longtang village, it is important to know more about the culture of their village in the future. They themselves should visit the village history museum, listen to the stories from the elderly, explore the historical origins and culture of Longtang, then introduce them to visitors, so as to attract more people to come here and enjoy the life style completely different from that of the city. Longtang village will become a living museum, and the villagers, always the masters of Longtang village, are ready to welcome curious visitors who are eager to feel the most sincere and unique Miao culture.

(Note: the pictures are provided by Youcheng Entrepreneur Poverty-Alleviation Foundation)

Tag: