For International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, TONG celebrates our female colleagues through their opinions and insights.

From inspiring Women’s Day campaigns to the future of China’s feminist movement, we are dedicating our content this month to the voices of TONG women.

Activation Manager, Milly Qing Zhang, investigates the events leading up to the recent backlash over an interview between Japanese feminist icon and author, Chizuko Ueno and Chinese social media influencer Quan Xixi.

China’s younger generation of feminist activists are a celebration of single and often child-free women. As China’s birth rate plummets and its population ages, the latest government policy urges women to return to the home and have two children rather than one. In 2023, women in China are rejecting patriarchal norms and expectations of marriage to pursue their own self-fulfilment.

Last month, a video went viral sparking controversial debate and criticism on the nature of feminism in China. An interview exchange between Japanese Feminist icon and author, Chizuko Ueno and a Chinese social media influencer Quan Xixi, reached over 10 million views on Weibo and received 35,000 comments on Bilibili.

“Although there are still accounts being banned and messages being deleted, a new trend is emerging where it’s increasingly normal to discuss gender and feminism online in China.

Ruiqi Yang, Activation Associate at TONG, shares the personal connection and empowerment she felt watching Neiwai’s IWD video campaign: “My Body to Me.”

“This campaign covers several topics, from the gaze and confinement of the female body to the control of our mind, from being honest with oneself to women openly discussing sex, from PUA and the violence suffered by women, all of which are realised through the medium of the body. The campaign also presents these themes in the form of modern dance, allowing us to confront these pains and dilemmas more visually and directly.

It’s also really creative: it reverses the subject and object, it’s our bodies asking the questions. It reminds me that sometimes when we suffer from physical or mental violence, our mind is numb, or we have internalised the pain, or we have taken it for granted, but our body endures everything in silence. Therefore, we should ‘listen’ to what our bodies are saying – feel and confront this pain rather than ignoring it.

As a female who grew up in China, I think I was aware of my confinement to my body: my body and the way I dressed was directly related to my rights and status in family, school or any public occasion from a very young age. The most impressive aspect of the Neiwai campaign for me is it clarifies and validates these connections, so I guess that’s the reason why I can resonate with it so personally. I hope other women can feel the same.” – Ruiqi Yang

Celia Zhao, Activation Executive at TONG, shares her thoughts on Aesop’s “The Women’s Library” campaign.

With the opening of their first China store in Shanghai, Aesop transformed their French Concession store into The Aesop’s Women’s Library. All products were replaced with 10,000 books written by women and allies, available for customers to take home.

“I love Aesop as a brand so I was naturally struck by this campaign. It’s wonderful to see brands supporting and celebrating women’s stories and experiences.

This campaign felt meaningful, and I know Aesop support other important socio-cultural events, for example through their Queer Library which was a similar concept for London Pride.

They also run the Aesop reading club with guests including a female art critic and writer.” – Celia Zhao

Maxime Renfrew, Commercial Manager TONG, shares her thoughts on literary feminism in China.

“Sally Rooney has sold 150,000 books in China – 30,000 is considered high for a translated novel. Like the rest of the world, I immediately related to Rooney’s flawed characters, but what makes her literature so popular in China?

China does have a history of female writers using literature to explore feminism and push traditional boundaries – I’m immediately transported back to my Chinese Modern Literature class at university where we analysed the work of Ding Ling and Zhang Ailing. Since 2017, online discussions on feminism and gender issues have been closely monitored by government censors, forcing Chinese women to rely more on literature as a channel for exploring feminism.

Censorship of foreign literature is comparatively lenient in China (the line: ‘I’m gay and Frances is a Communist,’ made it into the final translation of Conversations with Friends). Rooney’s books not only represent sexuality as a range, they offer a window into highly individualistic characters who consistently put themselves first and have strong opinions on politics and society.

This is very different to the traditional society-first, stoic Chinese mindset and has inspired a new generation of Chinese women to pursue feminism through reading – and writing. Chinese women exploring their identity, values, opinions and emotions through literature is an opportunity for them to be vulnerable and open with the world. I really enjoyed the collection of short stories: “The Typhoon Days”, written by Lu Yinyin and translated by Na Zhong, which was actually published a year before Rooney’s books were sold in China.” – Maxime Renfrew

Jiayu He, Activation Associate at TONG, shares insights from the 我要WhatYouNeed campaign, normalising women’s cycles.

“Menstrual shame is a widespread issue worldwide. Women have grown accustomed to feeling ashamed of their menstrual cycle and tend to keep it a secret. Pads and tampons are typically not displayed in public. With the increasing awareness of women’s rights, we are gradually realising that menstruation is a normal physiological phenomenon, and there is no need for women to feel ashamed.

This International Women’s Day, a cultural communication company based in Guangzhou, called 我要WhatYouNeed, organised an event in the CBD where they set up booths to distribute free pads. Each box had a message of empowerment for women to choose from:

“May you be a woman who doesn’t have to be a perfect mom.” “May you become a woman who is not afraid of gynaecological examinations.” “May you become a woman whose abilities are not questioned because of your gender.” “May you be a woman who prioritises your feelings.”

Women of all ages participated in the event, some for themselves and others for their mothers or daughters. The event showcased how women’s self-awareness is becoming stronger. It is encouraging to see that the process of awakening Chinese women is irreversible, and more and more people are recognising its importance. I hope that all women around the world will continue to seek freedom through an independent life. And I hope all of us are proud of being ‘women.'” – Jiayu He

Sylvia Erjin Nie, Activation Manager at TONG, shares her insights on Mercedes’s IWD campaign: “Be One of Many.”

“Mercedes’s campaign introduces three extremely successful women in their so-called ‘male-dominated’ careers. Race car driver Reema Juffali, Pro Gamer Johanna Mercia Weib and CEO of research and development at Mercedes, Adi Ofek share the pursuit of their goals and dreams in a so-called ‘male-dominated career environment.’

I was quite emotionally touched by this video. The campaign explores a strong attitude against gender stereotypes and the idea that successful women should no longer be considered exceptions. People should acknowledge achievement in the broader context rather than labelling the achievements of women as ‘female success’. From my perspective, I would like to see successful women being seen as commonplace in the work environment.” – Sylvia Nie