"It's cruel that girls have to come to class at 8:30 am. They should have more time to put on their makeup and enter the classroom elegantly. That way, encouraged and moved by their beauty, boys would have the drive to work hard," said He Guangshun, an associate professor of literature at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.
He made this remark in class and later posted it to Weibo in late March, triggering criticism from feminist scholars who slammed him as a sexist. However, He's remarks didn't seem to trigger as much outcry offline as they did online. Some students, both male and female, showed their support for him. While others may have found the professor's "suggestion" unnecessary, his supporters didn't see it as particularly offensive.
On campus and in society at large, people have become so used to sexism that they sometimes don't realize it is a problem, experts say. Some schools have been addressing the issue by promoting awareness among students. Over the years more and more students have taken a stand but it will still be a long time before the concept of gender equality fully takes hold.
Professor He wrote on Weibo, perhaps half in jest, that women already take on too much at home and that it is cruel that they have to work and study like men. He also claimed that men can work in every field while women can only work in certain areas.
Feminist scholars criticized He for his objectification of women but instead of retiring chastened, He went on the offensive, attacking feminists on Weibo.
But offline, things are much calmer. A freshman who gave her name as Candy said that not every woman may want to wear makeup, but she doesn't think the comment was sexist.
Stereotypes persist
Many students have no problem recognizing a recruitment ad that specifically asks only for men as discriminatory, but they might not recognize other more prevalent forms of sexism around them.
Over the years, many educators have raised the "boy crisis," concerned that boys today "lack masculinity" and are falling behind in school. They blame the "problem" on desegregated education and proposed that schools create all-male classes. In the meantime, there have been to also ensure that women grow up to be more ladylike.
"Both teachers and students lack basic gender awareness and some of them don't realize that certain comments are sexist," said Xia Zengmin, a teacher of gender studies at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, Hubei Province.
"Our understanding of equality is that everyone, man or woman, can grow and make choices freely, without being restricted or discriminated against by gender," said Xia. "Gender equality doesn't mean men and women have to become the same, but rather that they have equal rights, obligations and opportunities."
Guo Wenjun, a senior at Sun Yat-sen University, has been taking a course on gender studies, which she says has exposed her to gender concepts that have made her see things in a more critical light.
"I almost got into a fight with my roommates when we discussed He Guangshun's remarks," said Guo, 23. "They simply don't think it matters or that it's only natural for women to wear makeup."
Talking to college students, it's obvious that many cling to stereotypes defining a man or a woman's behavior.
"The concept of gender equality is not promoted as part of our basic education or as part of the common sense that every citizen should have," said Ke Qianting, an associate professor at Sun Yat-sen Unviersity in Guangdong who leads the Sex/Gender Education Forum.
Established in 2003, the forum brings together teachers from various backgrounds who share an interest in promoting gender equality through education and academic research.
Sun Yat-Sen University is among many universities that have elective courses focusing on gender issues, but the number of students these courses reach remains small compared to the overall student population. Just over 100 students take the classes but the university has over 30,000 undergraduates.
Ke's forum also supports student activities such as lectures, campaigns against domestic violence and gay pride month. Last year over 2,000 people joined the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign, she said.
Since 2008, the gender study center at Huazhong University of Science and Technology has opened a course on gender that introduces the basic concepts of gender issues in different aspects.
With over 180 students, the course is one of the most popular at the university. Students are encouraged to explore gender issues in their own way such as through sociological research or short plays.
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