‘Radical Sisterhood’: Navigating Digital Authoritarianism, Patryarchy and Capitalism in Radical Feminist Movements in Contemporary China

This article explores the struggles of Chinese feminists at the intersection of patriarchy, capitalism, and authoritarianism. We focus on how these feminists adapt radical feminism and the socialist feminists’ legacy to advance their agendas within an authoritarian and neoliberal context, where spaces for collective actions and public deliberations are increasingly constrained in the Xi-era. Our central argument is that radical feminists in China today emphasise the significance of individual autonomy and personal resistance in their struggles. Core feminist agendas, such as anti-marriage and anti-reproduction campaigns, opposition to beauty labour, economic independence and personal realisation highlight this focus. While these struggles contribute to raising awareness among Chinese women and resisting patriarchal capitalism, they face significant limitations in challenging authoritarianism. Given that the authoritarian state has intensified its control on “Western ideologies”, many Chinese feminists have adopted apolitical strategies that circumvent direct criticism to authoritarianism to desensitise their agendas. Paradoxically, this emphasis on individual autonomy can lead feminist movements toward a neoliberal approach to gender issues, rather than confronting the broader systemic challenges of patriarchy and authoritarianism. Chinese feminists are not the ones to blame, but they should be wary of the challenges they face in such political environment.