A timeline of #MeToo in China

It’s been a year since a bombshell investigative article by The New York Times exposed Harvey Weinstein’s long-term sexual harassment of actresses in Hollywood spurred a global #MeToo movement, where a cohort of brave women across industries came forward with their stories about sexual harassment, assault, and rape.

While the movement took off relatively late in China, it still has gained remarkable visibility and momentum with women in education, media, and beyond speaking out against sexual misconduct and a broader patriarchal culture where victim-blaming rhetoric is prevalent in the public discourse and the voices of women are often suppressed by authorities.

To celebrate the #MeToo movement’s first birthday, the Initium 端传媒 published an interactive article (in Chinese) documenting some of the major events that defined China’s #MeToo in the past year. In addition to a timeline of how the movement unfolded and evolved, the article also includes abundant data from relevant surveys, detailed explanations on why the country’s legal system failed to protect victims of sexual assault, and insights into social media reactions to this ongoing conversation about gender and power.

This is an essential read for anyone looking to have a firm grasp of #MeToo in China. Dive in!

You can also read about some major Chinese #MeToo cases in English on The China Project:

• China’s Sexual Harassment Problem
• #MeToo In China Reaches The Nonprofit And Media Worlds
• ‘Me Too,’ Says Hong Kong Hurdling Champion Vera Lui
• China’s Sexual Harassment Problem
• Sexual Misconduct On College Campuses In China
• ‘I Am A Woman Worker At Foxconn, And I Demand A System That Opposes Sexual Harassment’: A Translated Essay
• People’s Daily Encourages More ‘Silence Breakers’ In Nod To #MeToo Movement
• Zhu Jun Sues Woman Who Brought Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Him
• Sinica podcast with Leta Hong Fincher: Why China needs a #MeToo campaign but won’t allow it
• NüVoices podcast on China’s #MeToo momentum