女性在中国政治制度中角色转变的分析 = An Analysis of the Transformation of Women's Roles in China's Political System

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This article aims to identify the underlying drivers shaping the transformation of women’s roles within China’s political system and to develop a multidimensional explanatory framework based on historical and institutional analysis. Taking the feudal period, the Xinhai Revolution, the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and the Reform and Opening-up as key historical junctures, this study systematically traces the staged evolution of women’s political participation. Specifically, this trajectory spans from the structural exclusion of women within traditional political structures to the awakening of women’s political consciousness during modern nation-state formation, then to state-led institutional empowerment and mass mobilization after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and ultimately to the institutionalization of women’s participation in the Reform and Opening-up era.
The study demonstrates that the transformation of women’s political roles is not an isolated phenomenon but is deeply embedded in the broader processes of economic restructuring, political institutional transformation, and the evolution of cultural norms in China. Economically, women have gradually attained greater independence through participation in socialized production. Politically, the state has established constitutional and institutional arrangements that safeguard women’s political participation. Culturally, rising levels of educational attainment have strengthened women’s political awareness while providing critical human capital for the expansion of their roles in the political system.
Grounded in Marxist historical materialism, the study argues that changes in women’s political roles are fundamentally shaped by the tensions between productive forces and the relations of production, as well as by the dynamic interaction between the economic base and the superstructure. The continuous development of productive forces generates corresponding adjustments in the relations of production, while shifts across political, legal, and cultural domains reflect the reconfiguration of gender relations within the superstructure, thereby facilitating women’s gradual transition from structural marginalization to more substantive political participation.
It is noteworthy that although women’s representation in political institutions at various levels has shown a sustained upward trend, significant constraints persist in access to political office, cadre selection practices, promotion mechanisms, and women’s willingness to engage in political life. This suggests that formal legal guarantees have not fully translated into substantive political equality and that women’s participation continues to be influenced by both implicit and structural barriers. The article further emphasizes that strengthening empirical research and conducting cross-national comparative studies can help explore effective pathways to enhance women’s political participation. Such efforts can provide both a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for constructing a gender-inclusive model of political development that integrates institutional safeguards with cultural adaptability while aligning with China’s specific socio-political context.