chinadigitaltimes.net

In what is becoming an annual event, a spate of bans on the eve of March 8 International Women’s Day has struck numerous WeChat public accounts focused on feminism, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, combatting human trafficking, and promoting mental health, a sign of the continuing stigmatization and silencing of debate about these issues. Many bloggers and commentators have criticized the bans, which formed a glaring contrast to official- and state-media coverage of March 8 International Women’s Day, whose theme this year is “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” Some noted that amid the Cyberspace Administration of China’s (CAC) ongoing campaign to “clean up” content purportedly “promoting extreme feminism and inciting gender antagonism,” the red lines seem to be shifting, with even the most cautious and moderate voices now in the firing line.

In the run-up to March 8 International Women’s Day, a comedian known as Xiao Pa (full name Paziliyaer Paerhati [sic]) had her Weibo account suspended for posting this joke: “I’ve been bedridden for two days with a high fever. Suddenly it hit me that if I had a husband and kids, I’d be clinging to the wall, dragging myself out of bed just to cook for them.”