INTERSECTIONS/ October 17, 2024
INTERSECTIONS/ October 17, 2024
A rundown of issues, analysis, and must-read stories about women and female representation in the Sinophone landscape.
Dear subscribers,
Welcome to the fifth edition of Intersections — our monthly Lingua Sinica bulletin dedicated to women’s issues and feminism in the Chinese-language media space.
This month, along with my regular analysis of the PRC’s official China Women’s News, I delve into stories such as the antiquated custom of "wedding hazing," the significance of underground Catholic churches in rural China, and a high-profile case of sexual harassment by a Taiwanese politician.
As I said in my last bulletin, I hope these stories can prompt conversation and interaction. I welcome your suggestions about new outlets, stories, perspectives, or contributions — anything from films and books to short videos. Please reach out.
Dalia Parete
CMP Researcher
dalia@chinamediaproject.org
GROUND TRUTH
Liberation and limitations
In rural northern China, faith has become a crucial source of support for women dealing with systemic oppression and personal struggles. Underground churches were established as a reaction to the Communist Party’s crackdown on religious organizations and groups and have now become essential places where women find community, support, and empowerment.
For Singapore-based Initium Media (端傳媒), writer Yu Xiaobai (于小白) examines the intricate relationship between faith and female empowerment in rural China, looking at how some women have regained control over their lives by actively engaging in worship and community-building activities.
Through the stories of several women, including Li Yunling (李雲玲) and Feng Mingxin (馮明欣), the article looks at how belief systems can serve as catalysts for self-empowerment, offering emotional support and solidarity through challenges like divorce, debt, and unemployment.
On the flip side, religious communities can reinforce traditional gender roles for women within families. The example of Li Yunling also underscores the gender restrictions that stem from her Catholic beliefs. Despite yearning for independence, the article explains, Li has been unable to seek a divorce from her arranged marriage. The conflict between Li’s belief as a source of strength and limitation is palpable in the Initium story. “As a Catholic, Li Yunling's life prospects are bleak,” Yu Xiaobai writes.
Although religion can help women become more resilient and connected, the article finds, it can also reinforce patriarchal structures that limit their choices. Thus, the challenge is to manage these contradictions: to strive for more independence within a society that often prioritizes traditional gender roles while acknowledging the strength that comes with having faith.
IN MOTION
Stories of survival
Established in Taiwan by survivors of sexual abuse in 2022, the Warm Sunshine Association (暖暖 Sunshine) is a non-profit committed to using personal storytelling to educate the public about sexual assault and provide assistance to survivors. Their mission, they say, is “making sure that every survivor's narrative is appreciated and accepted by the community.”
At its storytelling platform on Medium, the Warm Sunshine Association shares survivors' stories and offers practical guidance for those facing sexual assault. In addition to “Survivor’s Column” (倖存者專欄), a regular section for personal stories, the platform offers advice on related issues — like this piece on the most current laws regarding survivors of sexual assault and this one about how not refusing an advance or a request is not the same thing as consent.
Next month, Warm Sunshine will host an event called "Warm Immersive Experience," designed to promote healing for victims of sexual violence. The event, to be held November 1-3 in Taipei’s Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, will consist of 12 hour-long sessions. Each will be designed to create a contemplative environment in which individuals can face their trauma and explore the intricacies of recovery.
For more information, visit the event page.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Tied to old customs
Late last month, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald (潇湘晨报), an urban daily newspaper from Hunan province, reported on the latest incident of harassment directed at a newlywed bride — a practice known in China as "wedding hazing" (婚闹). On September 26, a video surfaced online showing a woman in Shanxi province tied to a telephone pole, crying for help while bystanders failed to intervene. The footage quickly went viral, igniting outrage.
"Wedding hazing" is a long-standing cultural tradition in China. Historical texts from the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD) recount crude and sometimes violent customs, including physical assaults on both brides and grooms. In the past, this served to break the ice between the bride and groom — often strangers until their wedding day — and to create a jovial atmosphere. Today, acts of “wedding hazing” can also become social media memes, exposing individuals of all genders to online harassment as they are coerced into partaking in these humiliating acts.
In 2021, The Paper (澎湃), an outlet based in Shanghai, compiled several of the most egregious examples of “wedding hazing” from the past two decades, including shocking acts of violence disguised as tradition. In 2016, for example, a nearly naked groom in Yunnan was tied to a tree, then doused with ink and pelted with eggs by his groomsmen. In such cases, according to The Paper’s critical appraisal, "wedding hazing" serves as an excuse for abusive behavior rather than a genuine cultural practice.
The incident from Shanxi in September has rekindled concern and shock among China’s netizens and media outlets, with many suggesting the custom must be ended. “Tying someone to a pole is a tradition I cannot support,” said one user commenting online. “The bride looks utterly miserable,” said another. Dezhou Daily (德州日报), a CCP-affiliated local newspaper in Shandong province, said on September 27 that society as a whole must take action to abolish this custom. The paper called on all segments of society to “advocate for new ways to celebrate weddings,” emphasizing that each individual has a role in fostering change.
PRIORITY GAPS
Want a job? Take this pregnancy test
As I wrote in my latest piece for CMP, “Married to the Motherland,” Xi Jinping delivered one of his key policy speeches on the issue of marriage and childbearing in August 2023 during a conference of the All-China Women's Federation. In that speech, reflecting the leadership’s growing anxiety over the country’s falling birth rates, Xi instructed the organization to “encourage women to uphold the traditional virtues of the Chinese people” (传统美德) and “promote positive family traditions.” He emphasized the need to “actively foster a new culture of marriage and childbearing” (新型婚育文化).
This focus on traditional virtues and the official fixation on falling birth rates is happening against the backdrop of persisting discrimination against women in the workplace over the issue of fertility. In a report last month, China Worker (中国劳工论坛), a Chinese-language website managed by the Belgium-based International Socialist Alternative (ISA), revisited an in-depth study from earlier this year that found that local employers in the city of Nantong, in Jiangsu province, were often requiring women to undergo pregnancy tests during the hiring process. That investigation found that at least 168 women had been subjected to such tests across 16 companies studied, highlighting systemic discrimination against female workers. Despite legislation in China prohibiting discrimination based on marital or reproductive status, many employers in the country, seeking to avoid associated labor costs such as maternity leave, still require pregnancy tests during the recruiting process.
The China Worker report is by no means the first documentation of such discriminatory practices. Back in July, an article from Shanghai-based Guancha (观察者), citing the same Nantong study, reported that companies were often applying outdated recruiting methods that discouraged hiring pregnant women due to associated labor costs.
OFFICIAL FRAMING
The CCP’s POV on women
Founded in 1984, China Women's News (中国妇女报) is the official newspaper of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), China’s official women’s rights organization. The newspaper aims to “sensitize society to women and women to society, advocate gender equality, and promote women's progress and development.” But the paper’s propaganda role often takes center stage. Each month, I survey the paper’s front page to see what this mission looks like in practice.
First, my monthly rundown of front-page coverage:
Above the fold
Looking at a week’s worth of the China Women’s News front pages from October 9 to October 16, it’s clear that more general and government news supersedes women’s issues. Articles on women, their stories, and relevant governmental policies rarely make it to A1.
In one of the two articles focusing on women this week, reporter Gao Yue (高越) writes about Li Jianrong (李建榕), a prominent figure in China's aviation engine industry — and no, it isn't above the fold. Li, who has almost 40 years of experience in the aviation field, was instrumental in developing the Shenyang WS-10 engine — China’s first successful turbofan engine — and has won multiple national honors. In the article, Li encourages young female scientists to assume leadership roles in research and development to create a new generation of innovators. Even in this laudatory article, though, Li’s achievements are attributed to the Party, as it “greatly encouraged” her to pursue her career.
Above the fold in China Women’s News, it’s strictly a man’s world — a pattern readers will be used to by now. Here are two outstanding examples: Xi Jinping calling Indonesian President Joko Widodo (not to talk about women, of course) and an article about how the CCP, and in particular General Secretary Xi Jinping, has fostered a new era for Chinese literature and art. It emphasizes the relationship between literature, art, and national identity, suggesting that a vibrant cultural environment is critical to the country's rejuvenation. In fact, these choices of top content in the newspaper simply echo content in the broader CCP-controlled media space, underscoring the obvious — China Women's News is fundamentally about reflecting the Party’s views as opposed to those of women.
MAKING WAVES
Reports without condemnation
Imagine that your boss is Taiwan’s official representative in Thailand, and while the two of you are sharing a car, he turns to you and says: “My hands are cold, heat them.” This audacious case of harassment — involving Chuang Suo-hang (莊碩漢), a former member of the Legislative Yuan who headed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Bangkok from 2022-2023 — came to light during last year's #Metoo revelations in Taiwan. The incident forced Chuang to resign from his post and resulted in his impeachment in July.
The Chuang case is a clear instance of sexual misconduct involving a senior public servant, raising obvious questions of public interest — including how Taiwan’s government handles such behavior in its ranks. And yet, the latest developments in the case have received only a smattering of surface-level coverage from Taiwanese media.
Earlier this month, news broke of the findings of an investigation into the case by the Control Yuan, the supervisory and auditory branch of Taiwan’s government. It ruled nearly unanimously (with 1 dissenting member) to fine Chuang NT$300,000 (US$9,323) and prohibit him from holding public office for a period of two years. The Control Yuan investigation revealed further details about the case, such as the fact that Chuang had held the staff member’s hand and had invited her to his room to discuss work-related matters.
While nearly every outlet in Taiwan reported the Control Yuan’s findings, they offered little else beyond these details. Not a single article or analysis of the case openly condemned Chuang Suo-hang’s behavior. TVBS was the only news outlet to remind its audience about the importance of consent and to link to external resources on sexual assault, such as hotlines and prevention centers.
In such cases, the media are especially critical in shaping public debate. Stronger editorial stances might help raise awareness, encourage accountability, and contribute to change. One of many perpetrators, Chuang Suo-hang was exposed only thanks to his victim’s courage in speaking out. It is crucial that Taiwanese media also make their voices heard on this important issue.
TO LIGHTEN THE MOOD
Hold onto my fur
From Taiwan to America, the epithet “cat lady” (愛貓女) has become a slight against women who dare to be independent — and who happen to love felines. For those who arch their backs at the idea of female independence, the term often depicts eccentric, lonely, and childless women. Both the former President of Taiwan, Tsai Ying-wen, and the current Vice President, Hsiao Bi-khim, have been called “cat ladies” by their political opponents. The latest addition to the “cat lady” clique is US Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
In a recent explanatory feature, Crossing (換日線), an outlet under Taiwan’s CommonWealth Magazine (天下雜誌) offering global perspectives, explored the history of the “cat lady” in culture and politics. As the article points out, the association between women and cats goes back thousands of years, to the worship of feline goddesses such as Bastet and Sekhmet in Egypt. The negative image of the “single woman with a cat” (養貓的單身女子) goes back to at least the 17th century, according to Crossing.
