China clamps down on feminists, they fight back

On the eve of International Women's Day in 2015, five young Chinese feminist activists — Wang Man, Zheng Churan, Li Maizi, Wei Tingting, and Wu Rongrong — were detained by police in Beijing and Guangzhou.  

Their planned campaign was a simple one: to raise awareness about sexual harassment on public transportation.

Instead, they were charged with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble," a vague offense often used against activists. The "Feminist Five" case quickly became a landmark event, both inside China and internationally, marking a turning point for the country's feminist movement.

One of the five, activist Li Maizi (also known as Li Tingting), told DW that the detention left lasting scars: "For a long time, every time I heard a knock on the door, I would feel an overwhelming sense of fear."

Yet, she also believes the arrests had a paradoxical effect, amplifying feminist awareness in China. The case drew global attention and helped bring the issue of sexual harassment into the Chinese public consciousness.

Ten years on, China's feminist movement has undergone profound shifts. On one hand, public awareness of gender equality has grown: more women and LGBTQ+ communities are finding ways to speak out about domestic violence, workplace harassment, and gender discrimination.

On the other hand, the space for feminist voices has shrunk dramatically. Online platforms have become increasingly hostile to feminist content, while authorities have expanded censorship to silence gender-related debates.

Silencing of 'Feminist Voices'

In 2018, Feminist Voices, China's most prominent feminist media outlet, was banned from both WeChat and Weibo, the country's two largest social media platforms. Tencent, the owner of WeChat, cited violations of the China's Cybersecurity Law, claiming the group had "disrupted social order, public security, and national security."

The alleged violation was a WeChat post promoting an online anti-harassment campaign for International Women's Day, titled The Strongest Women's Day Guide.

After the account was erased from Weibo, numerous users who voiced support for Feminist Voices also saw their accounts suspended. The platform further blocked the outlet's name and logo from searches and posts.

The 'Xiao Meili incident' sparks a wave of feminist account bans

In March 2021, feminist activist Xiao Meili was harassed at a restaurant in Chengdu after asking men at a neighboring table not to smoke indoors. She was subjected to sexist insults and doused with hot liquid.

The incident, captured on video, went viral and resonated with many women who shared similar experiences of male entitlement and aggression in public spaces.

But what began as solidarity quickly spiraled into backlash. Nationalist online influencers "doxed" Xiao Meili, framing her as an enemy of the state. A 2014 photo of her holding a sign reading "Hold on to freedom in the storm, pray for Hong Kong" resurfaced and was used to label her a "Hong Kong separatist."

Soon after, her Weibo account was permanently banned, stripping her of the ability to respond or defend herself.

From Weibo to WeChat, Taobao and Douban: A broadening crackdown

After Xiao Meili was banned, many feminists on Weibo voiced support for her, only to face bans or suspensions themselves, including accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers.

This wave of censorship soon spread to feminist public accounts on WeChat, with authorities citing the charge of "inciting gender confrontation."

A week later, products in Xiao Meili's shop in the online marketplace Taobao that contained the word "feminism" were taken down on the grounds of containing "prohibited information." Taobao claimed it was a "neutral platform," and therefore discouraged sellers from using the term "feminism."

Shortly afterward, more than a dozen feminist groups on the Chinese social networking service Douban were dissolved.

Not only that, the names of the banned groups were immediately designated as sensitive keywords; posts containing those names were automatically deleted. Douban justified the removal of these groups by alleging they contained "extremist, radical political, and ideological content."

China's #MeToo Movement: Inspiration and suppression

China's #MeToo movement began in early 2018, when Luo Qianqian, a graduate of Beihang University, publicly accused her former professor Chen Xiaowu of sexual harassment.

Her courage inspired others across different sectors to come forward with their stories. Soon, conversations about workplace inequality, domestic violence, and reproductive rights were spreading widely online.

Several high-profile cases followed, including TV host Zhu Jun's alleged harassment of Zhou Xiaoxuan (also known as "Xuanzi"), and tennis star Peng Shuai's accusation of sexual assault against former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli. Each case triggered enormous public interest — but also swift censorship.

Keywords such as "#MeToo" and even the homophonous "mi tu" (米兔, meaning "rice bunny"), which activists used to bypass filters, were blacklisted on Weibo.

Posts expressing support for Zhou Xiaoxuan during her court hearings were deleted, and many accounts were suspended. Peng Shuai's Weibo post vanished within minutes, and searches for terms like "tennis," "vice premier," or "the premier and I" were blocked.

The crackdown was not limited to online discourse. In 2021, Huang Xueqin — a journalist and central figure in China's #MeToo movement — was detained. In 2024, she was sentenced to five years in prison for "inciting subversion of state power."

When victims become 'offenders'

A troubling trend in recent years is the stigmatization of victims as if they were perpetrators. Li Maizi points out that women who go to court over harassment cases often face countersuits for defamation: "The costs of pursuing justice are extremely high."

In July 2024, Dalian Polytechnic University announced plans to expel a female student for having an "improper relationship with a foreigner," claiming her conduct "damaged the reputation of the nation and the school."

Critics argued the decision was both discriminatory and a violation of her privacy and right to education. Instead of recognizing her autonomy as an adult woman, the university branded her behavior "immoral" — a reminder of the enduring patriarchal norms that judge women's worth through chastity and "national honor."

Feminism framed as a politicized threat

The Chinese Communist Party has long viewed independent organizing as a threat to stability. China's leadership increasingly views feminism through the lens of ideology.

Feminist groups and individuals have been smeared as agents of "foreign influence." Lü Pin, founder of Feminist Voice, told DW that "there is no longer any social media platform in China that is friendly to women or feminist topics."

Li Maizi observes that feminism in China has become highly politicized. The All-China Women's Federation frames "feminism" as a Western ideology, setting it apart from its officially endorsed "Marxist perspective on women."

This stigmatization has left feminists fragmented and isolated: "When people are forced to disperse online, it weakens the collective power of the movement," Lü explained.

Feminism is now framed as an imported Western ideology, disconnected from China's own traditions. Nationalist bloggers exploit this framing, attacking feminists under the banner of "patriotism" while perpetuating gender-based violence.

What lies ahead for China's feminist movement

At the same time, China faces demographic decline and falling birth rates.

Authorities have called on women to return to traditional family roles, with President Xi Jinping in 2023 urging the All-China Women's Federation to "guide young people toward correct views on marriage and family."

Against this backdrop, feminism — with its emphasis on autonomy and reproductive rights — is portrayed as subversive.

Li Maizi acknowledges that the movement now faces harsher conditions than ever. Yet she remains cautiously hopeful: "China's feminist movement advances in waves, with setbacks and resistance along the way. But wherever there is oppression, there will be resistance. Feminism in China will not stop."

Today's feminism, she argues, is decentralized and less dependent on formal organizations. Individual activists carry high risks, but informal support networks remain. The movement, though fragmented, continues to challenge both patriarchal norms and political restrictions.

Ten years after the Feminist Five, China's feminist movement exists in a paradox: increasingly visible in the hearts and minds of ordinary citizens, yet relentlessly silenced in the public sphere. Its survival now depends on resilience, creativity, and the courage of individuals willing to speak out — even when their voices are quickly erased.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru