The reconstruction of women’s labor and land rights in ethnic minority regions of southwest China under the grain for green program

Against the backdrop of implementing the Grain for Green Program (GGP) in China’s multiethnic southwest regions, this study focuses on women from ethnic groups such as the Yi (彝), Miao (苗) and Zhuang (壮). Using a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative measurement with qualitative analysis, it examines the gendered dynamics of labor participation and rights enjoyment during the transition of land use rights from agricultural production to ecological conservation. Findings reveal that beneath the gender neutral façade of ecological policies, household-based implementation mechanisms relegate women to the primary workforce in ecological labor while trapping them in a cycle of disproportionate effort with minimal returns. Covert exclusion in land rights certification and decision systematically erodes women’s land use rights and voice. The convergence of traditional patriarchal culture and policy implementation biases creates a double oppression that devalues women’s ecological labor. This study exposes hidden gender inequalities in ecological governance, critiques the institutional reinforcement of patriarchy through the GGP and provides theoretical foundations and practical pathways for achieving synergistic rural ecological conservation and gender equity.