Chinese Feminists Caught Between a Rock and the Party

The Chinese Communist Party claims gender equality as one of its most outstanding achievements; Mao Zedong famously declared that "Women can hold up half of the sky." The CCP abolished cruel traditions such as foot-binding and granted women equal rights as citizens and "The owner of the new society." For Mao, women, who were oppressed by "Feudal Confucian rules," were the natural allies and audience of his revolution. Third, Chinese feminists link gender issues to China's broader social problems and tap into the deeper human rights network. Facing tight control, Chinese feminists have developed a strategy to circumvent government pressure. After the Feminist Five crackdown, the feminist movement largely ceased street protests and switched to online discussions using Chinese social media platforms. Despite the government actively shutting down several prominent feminist online groups and pages, feminist topics still enjoy sizable followers and discussions across Chinese social media platforms. This dilemma reflects a painful reality - feminists are still a minority in Chinese society; most supporters are young, urban, and middle- or working-class women. Feminist Chinese men can help by shaping the public discourse on how feminism could benefit Chinese men while feminist Chinese women continue their fight against the oppressive regime.