Between Patriarchy, Capitalism and Authoritarianism: The Political Conundrums of Radcial Feminimsm in Contemporary China

This paper explores the struggles of Chinese feminists at the intersection of patriarchy, capitalism, and authoritarianism. We focus on how these feminists adapt Marxist/Socialist feminism and radical feminism 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 both Marxist/Socialist feminists and radical feminists in China today emphasize the significance of individual autonomy and preservation in their struggles. Core feminist agendas, such as anti-gender-based violence, anti-marriage and anti-reproduction, opposition to beauty labour, and economic independence 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 desensitize 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 public 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.