Videos of gender-based occupational discrimination

Huang Rong (pseudonym) won China’s first employment gender discrimination case, which is historic. But although the verdict was hailed as record-breaking by Chinese media, it was not enough for the 23-year-old woman. She filed a follow-up lawsuit seeking a formal apology from New Oriental Culinary for rejecting her job application last year because of her gender.

An article published on the website of Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on January 13 stated that Huang Rong, a recent graduate, applied for a clerk position at New Oriental, but her application was not considered at all. When Huang Rong called the school, she was told that the position was reserved for male applicants because the job required travel and included some strenuous work, such as carrying suitcases for leaders. She made it clear that she didn't mind traveling and that she was strong, but it was no use. Inspired by the case of another young graduate Cao Ju (also a pseudonym) in Beijing a few months ago, Huang Rong decided to take her employer to court.

In November last year, a court in Hangzhou ruled that the cooking school violated her right to equal employment and must pay her 2,000 yuan in mental damages. Although this amount of compensation is less than the 30,000 yuan received by Cao Ju, this judgment is of great significance because the compensation was awarded by the court and was not obtained through an out-of-court settlement like Cao Ju.

The article stated that gender discrimination is common in China. A 2011 survey conducted by the All-China Women's Federation showed that nearly 92% of female students said they had encountered gender discrimination in employment. A 2010 survey conducted by China University of Political Science and Law found that about 69% of employers have gender requirements when recruiting.

The article stated that most victims of sexism remain silent. It's gratifying that young women like Huang Rong and Cao Ju have the courage to break that silence. This is risky; if their true identity is revealed, they may never find a job in China again. In addition, it is expensive, the process is time-consuming, the outcome is uncertain, and the judicial system is not designed to accommodate such cases.

Sexism comes from gender inequality, which is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Baby girls are not as popular as boys, and girls often need to get better grades in school to be accepted into college. This unfair treatment continues to occur in the workplace as well.

The latest cases come amid a rise in women's rights activism in China. In November 2013, 10 college students put on giant paper pants over their winter coats and stood in front of a local government building in Wuhan to protest against the invasive gynecological examinations that women are required to undergo when applying for civil service jobs. Earlier that year, 20 women across the country shaved their heads to protest discriminatory college admissions standards.

Since 2013, dozens of female college students in various cities have written to local governments and labor departments to report job advertisements that they believed were sexist.

The article stated that this behavior deserves praise. Compared with the older generation, these educated women understand international practices better. They understand the Internet and how to use modern technology to connect with like-minded people and seek help.

Huang Rong told me that if there were not many women who were equally interested in promoting women's rights and helping and supporting her, she would not have gone so far. Those people were almost all strangers. One of them is Cao Ju, who not only funded Huang Rong's legal expenses but also organized an online petition to support her actions.

Huang Rong’s case has attracted a lot of attention in domestic and international media. Hopefully it will make people more aware of sexism, make employers think twice before excluding women from applying without justifiable reasons, and encourage more women who have experienced sexism to fight it too.