Why Chinese women don’t speak out about sexual harassment in the workplace
While the #MeToo movement has inspired some women, many choose to say nothing because they worry about their careers and fear they won’t get support
It happened on a team-building trip.
Zhang Cheng says she was in her boss’ hotel room using his hairdryer – to save time as she was sharing a room with two women colleagues – when he came out of the bathroom naked after a shower and hugged her, begging her to stay.
She pushed him away and rushed out of there, but the incident left her scared and on medication for depression.
Zhang did not report her boss – a husband and father – to the company or police.
That was more than two years ago, and Zhang, who is now 26 and still works at the same private company, an industry leader in Shanghai, believes even if she reported the incident, her employer would not help her. With no specific law against sexual harassment in China, she sees no point going to the police either.
“They do show some care for their staff, but it’s limited to superficial benefits such as pay and leave. They wouldn’t get involved in something like sexual harassment,” said Zhang, who did not want to use her real name or identify the company.