Huang Xueqin (Chinese: 黃雪琴; pinyin: Huáng Xuěqín; born in 1988), also known as Sophia Huang Xueqin, is a Chinese #MeToo activist,[1] women's rights activist, and independent journalist. Before working as an independent journalist, Huang served as an investigative journalist for several newspapers in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.[2] In September 2021, she and another activist, Wang Jianbing, disappeared and were believed to have been detained on charges of subversion of state power. In 2022, she received the Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Journalists Award from the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF), given to a journalist who is unjustly imprisoned.[3]

Career

Sexual harassment report on Chinese female journalists

In October 2017, Huang initiated a survey on Chinese female journalists' experiences on sexual harassment and collected 416 answers. On March 7, 2018, based on this survey, a Sexual Harassment Report on Chinese Women Journalists were released. According to the report, over 80% of women journalists had experience of being sexually harassed, 42.2% of women journalists who participated in the survey experienced sexual harassment more than one time.

#MeToo in China

Beihang University Incident

In October 2017, sexual harassment survivor, Beihang University Ph.D. graduate, Luo Xixi reported anonymously to the university that her former Ph.D. advisor, "Changjiang Scholar" Chen Xiaowu had been harassing his graduate students for years. However, the university did not respond to her report. Meanwhile, she saw Huang's survey on Chinese women Journalists' experience on sexual harassment, and sought help from Huang. They created an alliance called "Hard Candy" and exposed Chen Xiaowu's behaviors on January 1, 2018, on Weibo and received more than three million views within a day. In response, the university revoked Chen Xiaowu's teaching credentials,[4] while the Ministry of Education revoked his "Changjiang Scholar" title. This marked the start of China's #MeToo movement.[5]

Subsequently, Huang started several campaigns to support many #MeToo survivors.

Detention in 2019

On June 9, 2019, Huang participated in a protest against the 2019 Hong Kong extradition bill, and wrote about her experience on the platform Matters.[6][2][7] On June 11, she posted on her social media and stated that Guangzhou police harassed her because of her writing the article about Hong Kong protesters. She said her parents were "terrified".[8] Subsequently, in October 2019, Guangzhou police arrested her in the name of "Picking quarrels and provoking trouble".[9] On January 17, 2020, Huang was released on bail.[10]

Detention in 2021

On September 19, 2021, Huang and workers’ rights advocate Wang Jianbing went missing and subsequently lost contact in Guangzhou. Huang was due to start her study in development studies at the University of Sussex after receiving a Chevening Scholarship, and Wang was accompanying her before her planned flight.[11] A human rights organisation said that a person familiar with the matter has stated that Wang and Huang may be detained for investigation on charges of inciting subversion of state power, which involved daily gatherings of friends at Wang's home. In November 2021, it was confirmed that have been arrested and their families have received arrest notices issued by the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau. The notice stated that they were arrested by the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau on suspicion of inciting subversion of state power' and were now being held in the No. 1 Detention Center in Guangzhou.[12][13][14][15]

According to a group of supporters of Huang and Wang, the two were formally indicted for subversion as of September 2023. The screenshots which the group published suggested that Huang was accused of "publishing distorted, provocative articles and speeches attacking the national government on social media", and "gathering overseas organisers to participate in online training for 'non-violent actions'". Huang's health had earlier been believed to have deteriorated in detention.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Hernández, Javier C. (24 October 2019). "China Holds #MeToo Activist Who Wrote About Hong Kong Protests". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  2. 1 2 "曾報道反送中遊行 屢揭性侵醜聞 內地獨立記者黃雪琴疑被刑拘". 眾新聞. 2019-10-24. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  3. ↑ The International Women's Media Foundation (June 27, 2022). "IWMF Announces 2022 Courage in Journalism Award Winners". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  4. ↑ "China professor accused in #MeToo campaign is sacked". BBC News. BBC News. 2018-01-18. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  5. ↑ Martina, Michael; Shepherd, Christian (2018-01-14). "China revokes academic title of professor accused of sexual harassment". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  6. ↑ "〈記錄我的「反送中」大遊行〉". Archived from the original on 2020-01-05. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  7. ↑ "曾參加港反修例遊行 內地獨立記者黃雪琴被拘". 明報. 2019-10-24. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  8. ↑ "廣州獨立記者黃雪琴疑被捕 來港升學受阻 屢揭性侵曾報道反修例". 香港01. 2019-10-24. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  9. ↑ 女权人士、媒体人黄雪琴遭广州公安拘留
  10. ↑ 弗林 (18 January 2020). "曾报道香港反送中 大陆女权媒体人黄雪琴被拘3月后获释". RFI. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  11. ↑ Rahaman Sarkar, Alisha (26 September 2023). "Closed door trial of 'MeToo' journalist spotlights China's abuse of security law". The Independent. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "原定 20 日赴英留學 內地獨立記者黃雪琴與送行者維權人士王建兵雙雙失聯". Stand News. September 21, 2021. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  13. ↑ "中国独立记者黄雪琴、职业病权益倡导者王建兵失联". Radio Free Asia. September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  14. ↑ Jiang, Yaling [@yaling_jiang] (September 21, 2021). "Chinese investigative journalist and #MeToo activist Sophia Huang Xueqin and workers' rights advocate Wang Jianbing went missing in Guangzhou on Sep. 19. Huang was due to start her study in development studies in the U.K. and Wang was accompanying her before her planned flight" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ↑ "公益人王建兵、獨立記者黃雪琴被捕". RFI. November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  16. ↑ "China charges #MeToo advocate and labour activist for 'inciting state subversion,' supporters say". Hong Kong Free Press. AFP. 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
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