Welcome to our 22nd #womanoftheweek! Today, we will be discussing Li Ting Ting, an Asian Human Rights Defender. Enjoy!
What do you think of when you hear the phrase the “Feminist Five”? Superheroes, maybe? Protagonists of a great work of fiction? This is actually the name of a group of young Chinese celebrities, all of which pose a unique threat to their government by upending the familial basis of their country. One of these amazing women is Li Tingting, also known as Li Maizi; an activist for gender equality, sexual harassment awareness, and sexuality.
As a girl, she never thought she’d be able to make a difference. She grew up in a rather patriarchal family, with a chauvinistic father and a domestic mother. Li wasn’t one to be spoon-fed and live how others told her to, especially when she could sense that something was wrong. As soon as she graduated from secondary school, she planted herself and her beliefs into the outside world and set about doing what she thought was right. This started with the support of fellow university students: she set up a Lesbian Community Training Group, a councelling service for those who felt they needed someone to talk to. She soon gravitated towards protests and public demonstrations, but didn’t bother keeping it low-key.
She is most famous for her participation in a 2012 public demonstration to draw attention to domestic violence in her country. Along with two other volunteers, she donned a bloody bridal gown and, hoisting a sign, marched down the streets. This was only the start of her career in advocacy, though. A few years later, Li Tingting and the rest of the Feminist Five were working on a project to spread awareness of sexual harassment, handing out stickers in preparation for International Women’s Day. They and many other young feminists were detained for virtually no reason. Unforeseen by the authorities, this actually sparked a wave of dissent against the authoritarian state - the arrests gained traction on social media and the Feminist Five, previously unknown in countries outside of China, became famous.
Now a brazen public figure, she’s spoken out a lot on all kinds of feminism-related issues, becoming a legend to all the oppressed and a role model for every feminist. This strong woman isn’t afraid to put herself on the line for the benefit of others, and she encourages you to do the same.
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