Submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on China
80th pre-session
Attacks on women’s rights activists including in the context of the #MeToo movement (Articles 1, 2, 3, and 7)
Two years after the #MeToo movement took off in China, Chinese women’s rights activists face a political environment in which the Chinese Communist Party’s control over the internet, media, and independent activism is tighter than the previous 30 years.[1] Since the Chinese government prohibits collective actions, the country’s #MeToo movement has not been able to manifest in mass street protests. But individuals who have suffered abuse have taken their cases to court, demonstrating extraordinary determination and resilience.