Workplace Sexual Harassment and Me Too Movement in Post Socialist China

Authors: Tiantian Zheng

DOI: 10.23880/aeoaj-16000223

Volume 6, Issue 2

Abstract

On August 6, 2021, a female employee at the Alibaba Company went on social media to accuse her boss and his client of sexual harassment. In her publicized report, she narrated that, during a business trip, she was demanded by her boss to drink with his client. After she became intoxicated, she was first sexually harassed by the client. Later, as revealed by the hotel surveillance, her boss entered her room a total of four times to sexually harass her while she was unconscious in bed. As soon as she became conscious the next morning, she called the police to report the incident. After she returned from the business trip, she reported it again to a number of supervisors and leaders at various high levels of the company, but all to no avail. Finally, she decided to distribute flyers at the company cafeteria for help, which was stopped and threatened by the company security to send her to the police for her disruption of social order. She was subsequently banned from the company’s chat group. Out of desperation, she went onto social media to expose the incident. Pressured by the social uproar surrounding this case, the CEO of the Alibaba Company eventually responded and fired her boss.

Keywords: Sexual Harassment; Sexual Assault Dispute; Moral Reputation

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