BEIJING - More women were elected as village cadres last year, a move to promote rural women's participation in politics, a spokesman with the All-China Women's Federation said Tuesday.

Women were elected into all village committees in Shandong, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hunan and Guangdong provinces that completed reshuffles in 2011. Their total number was up 25.4 percentage points from 2008, the last time they were reshuffled, according to the federation.

"Selecting more female officials is an important way of motivating women to participate in villagers' self-management and politics," the spokesman said.

China has also made progress in cultivating female professionals, scientists and high-level officials, he added.

According to figures from organization departments, 10 more female officials at city level and 27 more female Party chiefs at county level were added to 2011's official lineup in 14 provincial regions that complete local government reshuffling every five years.