Pink Hair as a Cyberfeminist Symbol : Online Gender-Based Violence and the “PinkUp” Movement in China
(2024) In Journal of International Women's Studies 26(7).- Abstract
This paper investigates online gender-based violence (OGBV) in China using the perspectives of queer feminism and cyberfeminism. As a case study, it examines the cyberviolence against the “Pink Hair Girl” on Xiaohongshu (a popular Chinese social media platform) and the subsequent resistance by women. The study focuses on the following questions: How does the symbolic use of pink hair represent queerness and challenge gender norms in cyberspace? What are the power dynamics and types of violence faced by women in this situation? The research employs a case study method, incorporating qualitative data such as interviews and evaluations of social media content. By examining the symbolic usage of pink hair to represent queerness in... (More)
This paper investigates online gender-based violence (OGBV) in China using the perspectives of queer feminism and cyberfeminism. As a case study, it examines the cyberviolence against the “Pink Hair Girl” on Xiaohongshu (a popular Chinese social media platform) and the subsequent resistance by women. The study focuses on the following questions: How does the symbolic use of pink hair represent queerness and challenge gender norms in cyberspace? What are the power dynamics and types of violence faced by women in this situation? The research employs a case study method, incorporating qualitative data such as interviews and evaluations of social media content. By examining the symbolic usage of pink hair to represent queerness in cyberspace, the study investigates the power dynamics among political subjects and women’s subjectivity. This study highlights the significance of analyzing women’s resistance against male-dominated oppression and their political agency in the digital realm. It contends that online spaces act as battlefields where conventional patriarchal ideals collide with growing feminist beliefs. This contradiction creates both tyranny and opportunity for resistance. The “PinkUp” movement, in which women utilized pink hair as a symbol of resistance against online harassment, serves as a prime example of this phenomenon. The paper concludes that, although OGBV in China mirrors greater ideological oppression, cyberspace resistance groups demonstrate the possibilities for transforming women’s social identities and attaining unity. Despite the state’s and some men’s efforts to repress cyber activism, these movements are an important part of current Chinese feminism.
(Less)
- author
- Li, Yuchen Viveka LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- China, Chinese feminism, Cyberfeminism, Online gender-based violence, Pink Hair Girl, PinkUp movement, Queer feminism
- in
- Journal of International Women's Studies
- volume
- 26
- issue
- 7
- article number
- 7
- publisher
- Bridgewater State College
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85216586526
- ISSN
- 1539-8706
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 88612e10-fc72-46da-80f3-82da935aa6f2
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-03 08:39:40
- date last changed
- 2025-06-03 08:40:22
@article{88612e10-fc72-46da-80f3-82da935aa6f2,
abstract = {{<p>This paper investigates online gender-based violence (OGBV) in China using the perspectives of queer feminism and cyberfeminism. As a case study, it examines the cyberviolence against the “Pink Hair Girl” on Xiaohongshu (a popular Chinese social media platform) and the subsequent resistance by women. The study focuses on the following questions: How does the symbolic use of pink hair represent queerness and challenge gender norms in cyberspace? What are the power dynamics and types of violence faced by women in this situation? The research employs a case study method, incorporating qualitative data such as interviews and evaluations of social media content. By examining the symbolic usage of pink hair to represent queerness in cyberspace, the study investigates the power dynamics among political subjects and women’s subjectivity. This study highlights the significance of analyzing women’s resistance against male-dominated oppression and their political agency in the digital realm. It contends that online spaces act as battlefields where conventional patriarchal ideals collide with growing feminist beliefs. This contradiction creates both tyranny and opportunity for resistance. The “PinkUp” movement, in which women utilized pink hair as a symbol of resistance against online harassment, serves as a prime example of this phenomenon. The paper concludes that, although OGBV in China mirrors greater ideological oppression, cyberspace resistance groups demonstrate the possibilities for transforming women’s social identities and attaining unity. Despite the state’s and some men’s efforts to repress cyber activism, these movements are an important part of current Chinese feminism.</p>}},
author = {{Li, Yuchen Viveka}},
issn = {{1539-8706}},
keywords = {{China; Chinese feminism; Cyberfeminism; Online gender-based violence; Pink Hair Girl; PinkUp movement; Queer feminism}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{7}},
publisher = {{Bridgewater State College}},
series = {{Journal of International Women's Studies}},
title = {{Pink Hair as a Cyberfeminist Symbol : Online Gender-Based Violence and the “PinkUp” Movement in China}},
volume = {{26}},
year = {{2024}},
}