Women, sexuality, and social change in China
Past Event
Women, sexuality, and social change in China
Women, sexuality, and social change in China

Opening remarks by Cheng Li and keynote address by Li Yinhe

Promoting public awareness of gender and sexuality issues
The era of market reform has created a burgeoning Chinese middle class that craves not only increased consumption of goods and the freedom of self-expression, but also liberty over sexual life. At the same time, women have strengthened their call for the rights and representation to accompany the responsibility of “holding up half the sky.” As a result of this aroused social consciousness, feminist thought in universities is widespread, diverse sexual lifestyles are being discussed publically, awareness of sexually-transmitted diseases is growing, and measures to protect women from domestic violence are being strengthened. While these trends point to an improved environment for women and LGBT individuals, much work remains to be done in the policy and legal arenas to challenge long-standing discrimination policies and to ensure that these groups receive protection under the law.
Presentations
Please note these presentations contain frank discussions of sexuality and sexual health.
– Leta Hong Fincher, “Leftover Women”
– Yuxin Pei, “Everyone does it but no one talks about it”
– Wang Zheng, “On Anti-Sexual Harassment Activism”
– Guo Xiaofei, “The Silent Change”
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Agenda
Opening remarks
Keynote address
Li Yinhe
Fellow, Institute of Sociology - Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Promoting public awareness of gender and sexuality issues
Leta Hong Fincher
Lecturer - The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Yuxin Pei
Associate Professor - Sun Yat-sen University
Wang Zheng
Associate Professor - University of Michigan
Kristen Looney
Assistant Professor - Georgetown University
Coffee break
Protecting the legal rights of women and LGBT populations
Guo Xiaofei
Associate Professor - China University of Political Science and Law
Jamie P. Horsley
Senior Fellow, Paul Tsai China Center - Yale Law School
Nonresident Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, John L. Thornton China Center
Rachel Stern
Former Brookings Expert
Assistant Professor of Law and Political Science - University of California Berkeley
Katharine H.S. Moon
Former Brookings Expert
Professor of Political Science, Wasserman Chair of Asian Studies - Wellesley College
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[Suggesting that trilateral meetings between China, South Korea, and Japan be revived] is a way to say this is not zero sum and this is not an anti-China development. It’s smart diplomacy to be saying this.