China gender and sexuality centre shuts down as censorship chill spreads
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A Chinese non-profit dedicated to combating sexual violence and promoting gender equality is closing its doors, as Beijing continues its efforts to silence online discussion of the issue.
The Guangzhou Gender and Sexuality Education Centre (GSEC), announced it would be shutting down in a notice on its official WeChat account on Thursday.
The organisation was founded in 2016 by Wei Tingting, one of the “Feminist Five” group of women’s rights activists arrested in 2015 by Chinese authorities.
“Some of the staff were contacted by the authorities and received a threat they felt was serious, so they decided they had to stop what they were doing,” a source familiar with the situation told the South China Morning Post.
“I’m sad too, but winter has arrived. We still have a long road ahead of us, we hope we will meet again,” the centre responded to a disappointed follower on WeChat.
The advocacy group’s statement said remaining donations from the public would be used to provide psychological support for victims of sexual assault.