Women in China along with ethnic minorities are most disproportionately affected: Report

Despite all tall claims of modernity and respect for human rights, the women in China, along with the ethnic minorities, are the most disproportionately affected people, a Canada-based think-tank reported.

A Canada-based think tank, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) highlighted a tale of two women facing exploitation.

Two Chinese women, one an epitome of success in the field of Tennis, a well-known face with a successful career, and another an unrecognised face with a heart-wrenching history of being rape, abuse and trafficking are making the headlines.

These incidences drew people's attention towards the need for the safety of women and women empowerment.

Peng Shuai is a retired Chinese professional Tennis player who has won two singles and 22 doubles tournaments. She is also the first Chinese woman to be ranked world number one doubles player.

On November 2 last year, Peng posted on Weibo accusing Zhang Gaoli, a retired Vice Premier of China, of forcing himself on her three years earlier. What happened next was unprecedented for a person of Peng's stature and for a woman who is a victim of sexual molestation. The post was removed from social media and Peng was not seen for almost three weeks, the think tank reported.

People world over launched an international campaign to know about her whereabouts. #WhereIsPengShuai trended for over two weeks on social media. Finally, she made public appearances at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022.

Many users on Weibo pointed out that the life of Peng Shuai and her family members is under threat. They pointed out that she was under immense pressure to change her stance. But all such posts were removed and the users were reprimanded, the think tank said.

The ordeal of Peng highlighted that women are still being harassed by men in powerful positions without any accountability. It raised several glaring questions in front of the world.

If the sexual assault with the world's number one Tennis player can be covered up with threats, forced disappearance, and contempt, then how many women are still living in constant fear and humiliation after being assaulted? How many women away from the media glare, were denied justice? Can there be a #MeToo movement in China to give women a voice to share their trauma of being harassed?, IFFRAS reproted.

It further reported that such questions may not be answered with certitude but there is one more woman whose plight hooked people's attention last week. She was found in a vegetative state, chained by the neck inside a shed in Jiangsu Province in China.

She had lost her teeth and was barely able to speak. She was forced to give birth to eight children despite the one-child policy in China. Her condition spurred a lot of anger against the authorities on social media, the think tank said.

Earlier, the United States listed China as having one of the most serious human trafficking networks in the Trafficking in Persons Report 2017.

According to statistics from the White Paper on Lost Population in China (2020), in 2020 alone, the number of "lost" people reached 1 million, compared with 3.94 million in 2016. Most of them were women and ethnicity-wise they were Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, ethnic Kyrgyz, and other Muslims of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, IFFRAS reproted.

The two case studies drew the attention of the world towards Chinese women.

The Chinese authorities tried to cover up both the incidences without delivering any justice showcasing that the country's international image is prioritised over the dignity and safety of a woman. Women were the worst hit demographic segment of the society from the one-child policy that was implemented by China from 1980 to 2015 as well.

China now has 30 million more men than women or 30 million men who cannot find brides. It made the women all the more vulnerable to abuse and trafficking. Forced abortions and female infanticides increased due to this policy as people preferred a boy as their only child over a girl, IFFRAS reported.

The report highlighted that in 2021, the Chinese Government decided to raise the official limit on the number of children per couple to three. This is putting pressure on the women again.

Many women on online platforms said that they cannot afford to raise three children. Many working women worry about being pushed out of the labour market and losing the right to equal work opportunities. The women are already facing workplace burnouts and poor work-life balance and are apprehensive to raise three children to boost the country's flagging birth rates and reverse population aging, IFFRAS reported.

( With inputs from ANI )