Consequences of the Me Too Movement in China

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In an effort to improve the integrity of the human race, there have been diverse policies, declarations, and movements that seek to make the world a better place. The existence of human rights forms one of the most fundamental basics of human living and practices, which are supposed to be inherent to every individual. These rights are definitive regardless of the background of a human being, their gender, race, and any attribute given to their person. Deneen (2) nonetheless highlights the epic failure of this philosophy of liberty, stating that it has not lacked in its efforts but has, to a great extent, succeeded too well and brought the current social fray, political fragility, and economic instability. The founding philosophy of the American fathers is therefore a mockery of the context in which they created liberalism (Deneen, 2). Presently, the world witnesses social, political, economic technological, and environmental forms of decay that seem to have little or no solutions.

One major social contention that exists currently is gender equality and equity. Of significance to this concern are the struggles that have been highlighted by either gender on the basis of their sex. In reference to these experiences and struggles, different approaches have been used to sensitize the public, fight the wrongdoers, and change policies but the concerns seem to be increasing. As noted by Oberschall (13), revolutions in society take place in the event of social unrest and political distrust, a situation that is similar to current dissatisfactions with world affairs. This respective paper, therefore, discusses the Me Too movement, which is social activism that revolves around sexual harassment and the call to stop it. The paper moreover discusses the consequences of the Me Too movement in depth using China as its case.

The Me Too Movement

Founded by Miss Burke in 2006 to bring healing to the lives of black women and girls who had been harassed, the Me Too movement addresses the silence of sexual harassment victims. The initiative was brought to the limelight in late 2017 after top producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual harassment by a number of Hollywood actresses (Sherwyn and Wagner, 176). The movement seeks to understand why a large number of sexual assault victims remain silent; and prompts them to speak up by providing a platform to share their stories. Through the media and other social avenues, the #Metoo movement has been highlighted with information and victims’ accounts spreading quite fast to the rest of the world. Top media outlets getting hold of the victims’ stories include the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Aljazeera, CNN, and subsequent international networks as well as local networks. The movement additionally shows the reality of the prevalence of sexual violence in different sectors of work all over the world (Lee, 433). It advocates for gender equality and a violence-free environment in the workplace. This has resulted in the mobilization of women especially due to their shared experiences. The world has been brought to question in addressing the empowerment and sensitization of gender matters, particularly to men and boys. Among the countries that have experienced a ripple effect of social activism in China. In this research paper, the movement in China and its development will be discussed in detail as well as the consequences of Me Too. These consequences include legal, social, political, and technological consequences that the movement has had in China.

Me Too in China

The Me Too campaign in China has been gradual but escalated in 2018 after a good number of sexual harassment cases were made public. The movement was spearheaded by cases of sexual assault of young women by professors in universities in China. It is estimated that 69% of university students in China claim to have undergone sexual assault yet only 4% have reported it (Lin and Liu, 118). Many of the victims fear retribution and the humiliation that comes with speaking out. In the age of the recognition of human rights, the expectation would be that justice is well served for the victims as well as the perpetrators of the sexual crime. In reference to the Chinese nonetheless, it is important to consider the difference in ideologies in China and other countries. Whilst the US believes in a liberalist theory, the Chinese are essentially Marxist (Yan, 2). These differences may explain the censorship over victims’ accounts of sexual harassment, which happened as a consequence of exposure to sexual crimes. Lin and Liu (119) discuss the extremities of the gag on sexual harassment victims and the need to empower women in China. Hines (145) addresses the fact that feminism is viewed as a menace particularly in China, which undermines the struggles of sexual harassment victims in their attempt to voice their experiences. Chinese women have however become more creative and vigilant in the light of these restrictions but the outcome of the movement is still uncertain in China. Prior to the Me Too movement in China, however, there were cases of suicides, and concerns over sexual assault were often undermined (Lin and Liu, 120). Although the country has taken some accountability by conducting investigations and making arrests, there is still a need for improvement in the justice system.

Legal consequences of the Me Too Movement in China

On the first day of January 2018, a young woman who previously studied at Beihang University came out and accused her supervisor of attempted rape (Lin and Liu, 119). This accusation over the internet was followed by the admissions of sexual harassment experiences from Chinese women over social media. The sharing of the respective sexual harassment experiences took place under the #metoo movement, otherwise known as #Woyeshi in China. It felt like a safe space for these women to open up and mobilize others to speak out. The activism was however short-lived. King, Pan, and Roberts (326) discuss the controversial censorship practice in China that allows the government to criticize its citizens but silences any expressions that are collective in nature. The censors, therefore, took down the posts for fear of creating conflict in the country (Lin and Liu, 121). It is extremely challenging for people to express their opinions on their rights or to fight for them out rightly in China. This is because the relevant authorities immediately come to shut them down claiming to maintain public peace and stability in the country. In the year 2015, five women who soon after came to be known as the ‘Feminist Five’ took to the public transport systems and streets to voice their concerns (Fincher, 84). Their aim was mainly to protest against sexual harassment in the country. They were detained for 30 days having been accused of disrupting the peace, picking quarrels, and provoking trouble among the people. This is also similar to Ye Haiyan who was detained and harassed by law enforcement in 2013 (Zeng, 41). This is after she tried to expose cases of sexual abuse of school girls in certain provinces of China.

The Me Too movement has nonetheless affected China’s legal sphere as some of the accused have been detained with individuals such as professors getting stripped of their titles and being defamed. A 26-year-old woman by the name of Zhou Xiaoxuan wrote about how she was sexually harassed during her internship as a screenwriter working under one of the most recognizable faces on television in the country; Zhu Jun (Huang). In July 2018, her story was widely shared and she has become the face of #Metoo in China. Zhou was however sued by the accused on the grounds of defamation. Although there are certain steps that have been taken to curb sexual violence in the country, there is still much to be done and implemented. The women’s protection law was amended in 2005 to outlaw sexual harassment and allow victims to sue in court. The Me Too movement has made it impossible for the government and the public, in general, to ignore sexual harassment as a crisis in China. The country is therefore preparing a draft civil code set to be implemented in 2020. This code will highlight what is expected of employers in creating measures against sexual harassment in the workplace. The legal changes brought about by Me Too in China reflect the revolution that can be influenced through social activism. The legal consequences moreover have future implications for Chinese laws and ideologies that make the country.

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Consequences of the Me Too Movement in China

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