Sexual Harassment Debate Breathes New Life Into China's #MeToo Movement
(CNN) A fierce online debate has erupted over the definition of sexual harassment in China after a series of allegations against a prominent screenwriter sparked interest in the country's disgusting #MeToo movement.
Shi Hang, 52, a celebrity in China's media and literary circles, lost her job at several companies after more than a dozen young women filed sexual harassment complaints against her.
The controversy highlighted the resilience of China's #MeToo movement, which has often faced backlash from censorship and the ongoing feminist movement.
Shi's accusers, who have not released their real names, described the crime from sexual comments to groping and kissing in a series of social media posts and interviews spanning more than a year. . decade.
In two separate statements, Shea strongly denied the sexual harassment allegations and said the relationship was amicable.
“I have never acted against a woman's will or used it to coerce someone who claims to be powerful,” she wrote last week on Weibo, a Chinese Twitter-like platform with three million followers.
In his defense, Shi also posted selected screenshots of his conversations with his accusers, showing that they did not object to his flirting.
Prosecutors later countered that the balance of power between them—an established and respected name versus young fans and women looking to break into the industry—made it difficult to pressure Shea.
Many state media reported that since the five defendants are the most powerful party, Shi Hang believes that he can still decide what is "right" and what constitutes sexual harassment. . This is the general mentality of those in power.
Shea and the plaintiffs did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
Results
The allegations sparked a heated debate on Chinese social media, with related hashtags trending for days, garnering hundreds of millions of views on Weibo.
Some users defended Shin, calling dating "just flirting." Others supported Shih's accusers, arguing that entrenched gender inequality has created a culture that normalizes sexual harassment of women.
Dai An, a women's rights activist from the southwestern city of Chengdu, said Chinese women are more open to expressing their opinions. "It's a different time now, and the environment that was once accepted has changed," he told CNN.
"Women don't want to keep quiet anymore and they don't want to put up with men using them as sexual tools to show their power."
Since then, many companies have severed ties with Shi, who has appeared in books and movies, and has appeared on cultural events and variety shows.
Beijing-based Chiron Publishers said it would withdraw Fang Xiqi's award-winning Paradise of First Love, a book about a 13-year-old girl forced to have sex by her teacher. The book became an influential part of Taiwan's #MeToo movement due to its themes of power and vulnerability.
Other companies that have terminated their contracts with Shi include the New Weekly newspaper in Guangzhou and a bookstore and theater in the capital Beijing.
A prominent Chinese feminist now residing in New Jersey is believed to be the first of several Chinese organizations to publicly cut ties with a prominent figure over sexual harassment.
“This shows that feminists are pushing harder than ever to influence public opinion and control institutions,” she said.
Feminist added that these institutions were unable to ask for protection from censorship and government support, and public pressure did.
movement under siege
China's #MeToo movement has been censored and suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party.
Several prominent women's activists have been silenced and imprisoned in recent years. One of them, Huang Shujin, was jailed for 600 days on charges of "inciting the overthrow of state authority."
In the latest scandal, the allegations against him have largely escaped censorship, but other #MeToo cases targeting government officials and figures have been highlighted.
Chinese tennis star Peng Shui quickly silenced former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli in 2021 after accusing him of sexual harassment on social media. Kissing her has been repeatedly banned on Chinese social media platforms.
China's #MeToo movement has won a rare legal victory. Last year, Chinese-Canadian pop star Chris Wu was sentenced to 13 years in prison for assault after an 18-year-old Chinese student allegedly assaulted him. Wu's swift arrest coincided with a government crackdown on the country's entertainment sector.
But Chinese victims of #MeToo, who often choose to fight their attackers in court, face an uphill legal battle. Last August, a Chinese court rejected an appeal by Zhou, a former state media intern, ending years of litigation and dealing a heavy blow to the movement.
China did not make sexual assault a legal offense until 2021, when it passed its first civil law to address sexual assault.
The law states that a person can bring a civil lawsuit against someone who sexually harasses them "by words, written language, images, physical conduct or in any other way."
Still, the failure of sexual harassment lawsuits like Zhou's in recent years "makes it even clearer that legal remedies for sexual harassment are unrealistic," said a Chinese woman from New Jersey.
“In [Shane's] case, the victims clearly understood that reporting to the police or taking legal action would have little chance of success.
Some of Zi's supporters took to Chinese social media to ask why the accusers did not call the police.
In a lengthy post on Weibo, Xiao Mo, one of the thousands accused, said calling the police was "not the best solution to all problems," especially since she "didn't find out she had been sexually assaulted until a few years later." . "
"Even if I call the police station to report it, how long can he be detained for sexual harassment?" wrote that Xiao Mo turned down an interview request from CNN.
"Our main calling is not legal punishment, but to reveal the truth so that the just can come to the conclusion of their hearts."
This story was first published on CNN.com. "Sexual harassment debate breathes new life into China's #MeToo movement."
