A review by siria
Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China by Leta Hong Fincher

4.0

A short but compelling look at contemporary feminist activism in China, focusing on the so-called "Feminist Five": a group of young women arrested and mistreated for protesting against sexual harassment on public transport. Their treatment is emblematic of the Chinese government's increasing repression of feminists—and indeed women more generally—in recent years. Leta Hong Fincher makes a strong case that this repression is tied to the government's attempt to shore up its own power base. The subordination of women to men—socially, legally, and economically—gives men an investment in supporting the status quo, while feminists make a convenient scapegoat on which to take out societal frustrations. As misogynistic, authoritarian regimes multiply across the globe—those of Putin, Orban, Trump, Xi, etc—this is a timely and relevant read.