A #MeToo movement in China starts with letting women say ‘no’ to offensive content
Audrey Jiajia Li says Chinese society has a long way to go when the victims of sexual harassment are blamed and those who seek equality are demonised as part of the ‘white left’
A male member argued there should be a vote on whether such material should be allowed. I disagreed, saying there were basic common standards in civilised society that didn’t need to be voted on. I quit when this member started name-calling and personal insults.
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At MIT, there is a poster on every door of the women’s rooms: “Have you felt taken advantage of in a sexual setting? MIT’s 24-hour hotline is here for you.”
That’s when I realised the biggest obstacle in battling sexual harassment in China is the victim-blaming attitude. If you complain about unsolicited dirty jokes or photos in a social setting, the chances are that no one will empathise, let alone help. And, if actual sexual assault happens and you speak out, you are likely to be blamed for being “indiscreet”.
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Sophia faced tremendous pressure. When she talked about her goals and asked for help, she received feedback like, “I’m curious what kind of women would provoke sexual harassment”. Even some relatives and friends were not receptive.
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She didn’t back down. Last week, she encouraged a female scholar working in Silicon Valley to speak up about sexual misconduct by her academic adviser when she was studying at Beihang University. Predictably, many netizens questioned why it took so long to break the silence and whether she had behaved appropriately when she was with the professor.
Almost every time a woman is assaulted, there is familiar victim-blaming rhetoric online: “Why did she go out so late?” “Why did she dress like that?” “Only sluts go to those places or use those kind of social apps”.
Society may be unreceptive to women’s concerns, but can we improve things bit by bit, perhaps starting by encouraging women to say “no” to the next unwelcome pornographic photo in front of them.
Audrey Jiajia Li is the 2017-2018 Elizabeth Neuffer fellow with the International Women’s Media Foundation. She is currently in residence at the MIT Centre for International Studies