לשם שמיים
Authoritarianism and Democracy
4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 Ibid. 8 Washington Post Staff, “Takeaways from the Pegasus Project,” The Washington Post, WP Company, February 2, 2022, https:// www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2021/07/18/takeaways-nso-pegasus-project/. 9 Mekhennet, Priest, and Timberg. 10 Steven Feldstein, “Governments Are Using Spyware on Citizens. Can They be Stopped?,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, July 21, 2021, https://carnegieendowment. org/2021/07/21/governments-are-using-spyware-on-citizens.-canthey-be-stopped-pub-85019. 11 Feldstein. 12 Ibid.
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The Chinese MeToo Movement Rebecca Miller, ’23
China is known for censorship and repression. Though this might partially be because of Western propaganda, it is true that the Chinese government keeps a tight grasp on the spread of information and ideas in its public. Yet somehow, a revolutionary campaign has ignited in China. The MeToo movement has gained traction and publicity. Workplace gender discrimination is a huge issue everywhere, and the American MeToo movement sparked a hardly-seen-before global discussion of sexual harassment. Though the Chinese MeToo movement was inspired by America’s, it is more impressive because of its battle to improve conditions for all women and its persistence in the face of government opposition. American celebrities kickstarted the #MeToo movement, triggering a conversation that swept the world, including China. In October of 2017, actress Alyssa Milano posted the tweet heard round the world. Many other celebrities responded to her tweet with the now-iconic “Me too.” The American MeToo movement was powered by celebrities, focused on exposing and disempowering powerful men. Men like Harvey Weinstein, who for years were untouchable, finally faced consequences for their actions, spreading hope for victims of sexual harassment and panic among the good old boys. These public takedowns, with famous personalities on either side of the equation, were huge news stories. The American MeToo movement gained so much fame and attention that it began similar phenomena in other countries. A worldwide discussion about sexual harassment began. China was one of the slower countries to respond, but inevitably the global revolution took hold there. “I think those [American] actors were so brave,” said Zheng Xi, who led a public campaign against sexual harassment.1 Because of Chinese policy and censorship, the Chinese MeToo movement fielded support from like-minded activists in other countries that have freer speech.2 The American and international campaigns were what led to the creation of the Chinese MeToo movement. The Chinese MeToo movement is less celebrity-driven and more policy-focussed than its American progenitor, making material differences in the legal rights of all women in China. The Chinese movement is fuelled by a faceless mass of women rather than celebrities. Its central focus is the experience of all women in China rather than telling individual stories. The campaign is all about actual policy change and legal recourse for victims of sexual harassment. One of its greatest early triumphs was the civil code defining sexual harassment for the first time. In 2018 a grassroots movement began when student Luo Xixi, assisted by journalist Huang Xueqin, accused her Beihang University professor of sexual assault. The university fired the professor after an investigation on the grounds that he violated professional ethics3. Inspired, many other women began to speak out online, particularly about sexual assault on college campuses. The conversation spread to how all women were treated in the workplace, and a widespread public discussion
