Hong Kong's historically male-dominated New Territories villages have undergone a small-scale sexual political revolution, with 17 women elected as village heads under a controversial new voting system.
It is the largest number of women ever elected in a village poll.
But the thorny small-house policy - the long-standing practice that allows male indigenous villagers to obtain free government land on which to build their own villas - is likely to remain unchallenged.
For the first time, the elections returned two village heads, one representing only indigenous villagers and the other all villagers, including non-indigenous residents. Women newly elected to both positions, who were interviewed by the Sunday Morning Post, said they believed the 'lawful traditional rights and interests' of indigenous villagers should be protected.
Indigenous people are those who can trace their male ancestry to the New Territories up to 1898, when Britain gained a 99-year lease on the area.
The small-house policy - which some opponents describe as discriminating against women - was established more than 30 years ago, and allows all male indigenous villagers land on which to build a home in their village - whether they want to live in it or not. Many people living abroad have built homes they now rent out. The policy has been described by former legislator Christine Loh Kung-wai as an anachronism. Contrary to common belief, Ms Loh says, there is no age-old custom permitting rural villagers to build small houses.
