‘MeToo’ China movement signals a shift in sexual attitudes

BEIJING: The #MeToo movement in the United States, which has exposed alleged widespread sexual assault and harassment in Hollywood, reached a crescendo on Jan 7 when TV host and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey gave a rousing speech at the Golden Globes ceremony in Los Angeles.

“I want all the girls watching here now to know that a new day is on the horizon,” she said.

Thousands of miles away, that message also resonated in China.

Women quickly began to speak out about sexual harassment, but rather than celebrities leading the chorus of disapproval as in the West, the movement is centred on college campuses.

Luo Qianqian is being credited as the first Chinese woman to evoke the spirit of #MeToo. Early this month, she accused Chen Xiaowu, a professor at Beihang University in Beijing, of sexual assault when he was her doctoral adviser in 2005.

She then contacted fellow alumni who had endured similar experiences, and provided evidence to the college’s disciplinary watchdog, including damning audio recordings. As a result, Chen was fired last week.

Other women quickly followed suit. Within days, three more cases had been brought to public attention, all involving female college students who claimed to have been sexually assaulted or harassed by lecturers.

A study released in 2014 by the All-China Women’s Federation suggested that the problem is worryingly prevalent in China. The federation surveyed 1,200 female students at 15 universities; in response, 50% said they had been subjected to sexual misconduct, either physical or verbal, while 23% described the situation as “severe”.

In most cases, the aggressor was male, usually a classmate, though 9% of respondents claimed they had suffered at the hands of lecturers or college officials.