When sexual harassment allegations were made against former mega-influential Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in October 2017, a few would have estimated the power of exposé and how it can redefine and reshape the mindset of people in a male-dominated society. As per reports, more than 80 women came forward and had made allegations against Weinstein by October 31. The report led to a backlash over how women are mistreated, unleashing the historic #MeToo movement. 

From Hollywood to Bollywood, the Weinstein case gave women the much-needed courage to speak loud enough so that they can’t be shushed by powerful men around the world. Although all of the cases haven’t been as successful as the Weinstein one, as after the investigation, Weinstein was found guilty of two of five felonies in February 2020 and was sentenced to 23 years in prison. 

The exposé led to an outpouring of horrific stories on social media forums and beyond. Even today, women are using #MeToo as a free space to tell their stories but if we talk about the success rate, some times women are too late to provide any evidence and in some cases the probe continues but at least now the women are speaking up, which is definitely a positive development. 

But when we assess the impact of the #MeToo movement on society as a whole, can we include the entire world? What about countries where the #MeToo hasn’t reached or is being neglected? What about the countries where the status of women is still being defined by men? What about the countries where women are still tangled within the complexities of a patriarchal society? 

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MeToo movement in China

Say China for example, where the #MeToo movement appears to be failing. China’s #MeToo movement took off in 2018 when a college student in Beijing publicly accused her professor of sexual harassment. It spread to NGOs, media and other industries. 

It gained momentum when Zhou Xiaoxuan, who is now 28-years-old, came forward in 2018 to accuse former state TV host Zhu Jun of forcibly kissing and groping her during her 2014 internship at the broadcaster. 

But recently, in a blow to the country’s #MeToo movement, a Chinese court threw out the landmark sexual harassment case on the basis of insufficient evidence and ruled there was not enough evidence to proceed. 

“The evidence provided by the plaintiff Zhou was insufficient to prove her argument that she was sexually harassed by the defendant Zhu,” Beijing Haidian District People’s Court said in a statement, adding that the case would not proceed to trial. 

Zhou’s case against Zhu was originally filed under the “personality rights” law that covers rights relating to an individual’s health and body, however, her lawyers later asked for it to be considered under new sexual harassment legislation that was passed last year.

Despite the new law, many women in China are still reluctant to come forward with harassment charges, and it is rare for cases to make it to court. Zhou, also known by the pen name Xianzi, was seeking a public apology from Zhu and 50,000 yuan ($7,600) in damages. 

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But is the country helping women? Doesn’t look like because Beijing has increasingly tightened the space for civil society, and China’s #MeToo movement has been restrained by online censorship.

Zhou’s Twitter-like social media platform Weibo account has been blocked, while several prominent women’s rights accounts appeared to have been deleted after sharing posts about the case. 

In a recent report published by BBC, Zhou’s side was reported highlighting how she has become a target of criticism. The report stated that some nationalistic bloggers accused her of lying and alleging she was “colluding with foreign forces” to stir up controversy. 

The problem here is not about who said what and who is right and who is wrong, but the lack of proper investigation poses a huge obstacle for achieving a balanced society. Also, a growing clampdown in the country by authorities to shut down discussions over the same is a huge setback. 

In recent years, some academic reports have shed light upon how the status of women has improved in China since 1949, and it might surely have but the Zhou’s case portrays a different picture that tells the country has to go a long way.