The Feminist Five is a group of five Chinese feminists who were arrested in Beijing on March 6, 2015 for planning a protest against sexual harassment on public transportation.[1][2] The quintet is composed of Li Maizi (birth name Li Tingting), Wu Rongrong, Zheng Churan, Wei Tingting and Wang Man.[1][3]
The five women were detained for 37 days after planning to hand out sexual harassment stickers on the subway ahead of International Women's Day (March 8) and became known following their arrest.[4][5][6][7] Their arrest sparked outrage both internationally and domestically, leading to protests in support of the five women in the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, Poland and Australia although protests within China were subject to censorship and crackdowns. The Feminist Five were released on bail on April 13, 2015 due to the backlash following their detention.[1]
The incident became part of Chinese feminist history and the Feminist Five are still criminalized and under state surveillance after their release. While their detention sparked outrage and encouraged young women to speak up and also take part in feminist activism, it was hard to engage in feminist activism without funding.[1][8][9] Their actions are still recognized, particularly during the #MeToo movement in China.[10]
- ^ a b c d Hong Fincher, Leta (2018). Betraying Big Brother : the feminist awakening in China. London. ISBN 9781786633644.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Cao, Yaxue (27 July 2016). "A Cafe Chat With Li Tingting". China Change.
- ^ Jacobs, Andrew (2015-04-05). "Taking Feminist Battle to China's Streets, and Landing in Jail". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ^ Li, Maizi (8 March 2017). "I went to jail for handing out feminist stickers in China | Li Maizi". the Guardian.
- ^ Tang, Didi; Chang, Jack (19 April 2015). "'Feminism is my soul,' says gay Chinese activist after 37 days in detention". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-06-18.
- ^ Zheng, Wang (2015). "Detention of the Feminist Five in China". Feminist Studies. 41 (2): 476–482. doi:10.15767/feministstudies.41.2.476. ISSN 0046-3663. JSTOR 10.15767/feministstudies.41.2.476. S2CID 147050819.
- ^ "Chinese women's rights group collapses under official pressure". the Guardian. Associated Press. 2015-06-05. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
- ^ "Four Years on: The Whereabouts of the 'Feminist Five' and the Sustainability of Feminist Activism in China". China Change. 2019-03-12. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
- ^ "Finding a Voice". ChinaFile. 2019-03-28. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
- ^ "Why the World Should Pay Attention to China's Feminists". Time. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 2021-04-21.