The Chinese government's empty promises on women’s rights : significance of China's #MeToo movement

Abstract

On January 1st, 2018, the first Chinese woman – Luo Xixi – shared on social media her experience as a sexual harassment survivor, her post marked the beginning of the #MeToo movement in China. In her post, inspired by the #MeToo in the US, she provided a detailed account of her sexual assault, which received three million hits within a day of being public. Her actions encouraged numerous women to speak out and say #MeToo, publicly sharing their experiences and names of assaulter; these soon sparked intense debates online, and were promptly censored by the Chinese government. This research analyses the significance of the #MeToo movement in China for women’s rights, and specifically investigates the international human rights framework and human rights treaties signed and ratified by Beijing, with a focus on CEDAW. Consequently, it provides an overview of the impact that the #MeToo movement has had on the legislation concerning sexual harassment in Chinese law and examines the effects that the #MeToo has had on China’s Civil Code revised in 2020.