Pink power unites women in fight against cyberbullying in China
- The death of a young woman who was bullied over the colour of her hair sparks online protest ahead of International Women’s Day
- Some experts believe the rise in online abuse may be linked to social pressures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic
The first thing Beijing office worker Jane Zhang did after quitting her job of six years was dye her hair pink.
The abuse began in July, when Zheng celebrated her admission to graduate school with a post which included a picture of herself and her bedridden grandfather. Her pink hair was linked by some commenters to prostitution and she was relentlessly called “nightclub girl” and other slurs.
Zheng tried to sue the online bullies and some issued public apologies, but she was diagnosed with depression and in February a friend revealed that she had died a month earlier.
“She was rather brave. She didn’t walk away from it. Instead, she took screenshots of each attack and vowed to take legal measures against those bullies. Her death struck me, and her bravery touched me,” Zhang said.
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