BEIJING – March 7, the annual Girls’ Day in China, is traditionally the day when male students state their care or adoration to girls with sugary words on dazzling banners – though, some say for many boys, it’s mere flattery in search of a girlfriend. But this year, some young women at Renmin University of China, at least, chose this occasion to hang some incongruous banners to voice their dissatisfaction with what they see as gender discrimination.

Not only Renmin University, most other universities in China will be swamped in various banners and slogans on Girls’ Day. Every year there will always be heated debates online because some of the banners seem pompous, some imply male chauvinism or commodify women, and some are even full of sexual harassment or innuendo.

A banner hung by male students in South China Agricultural University, which reads, “Every night I raise my hands (to masturbate), you will always come into my mind”, has been widely criticized for its improper wording and sordid content.

“Girls’ Day should be a chance more for the girls to utter their own voice than for the boys to let out their excessive hormones,” said Celine, one of the female students who organized this banner-protest.

They hung three incongruous banners on campus, including “Independence is my greatest virtue” and “We girls have the right to decide whether to give birth to a child”, and the one pictured above.

These banners soon caused a stir as quite a few students, both male and female, shared or reposted photos of them on social media. These banners were even posted onto Zhihu, China’s Quora, where netizens praised the underlying courage and awareness, and acknowledged “these banners do help us reassess the purpose of Girls’ Day.”

Girls’ Day, initially held by girls, is now held for girls. But most girls refused to be treated as merely “eye candy”. In their opinion, despite the transient favors on Girls’ Day, girls are actually encountered with overwhelming discrimination and even described as “tools for bearing children”.

A skit on CCTV 2017 Spring Festival Gala has evoked criticism online as its heroine voluntarily chose to divorce in guilt of her infertility.

And what upsets the girls most is the startling inconsistency between those alleged verbal favors and the actual inequality in opportunities. Dai Youqing, a second-year female graduate in search of a job, commented on WeChat, “We have to seek an offer among the ‘leftover’ – many companies articulate their preference for males. We are anxious and the banners speak up for us.” According to 2017 China Female Work Status Report released by zhaopin.com, 22% of Chinese women claim that serious gender discrimination exists in the course of employment – males are granted with greater opportunities even if their female colleagues perform as well as them.

“In the past, women students seemed mute on this issue. Our banners aim to wake my peers up to call for gender equality and independence,” Celine appealed, “Once we have desirable jobs, we can buy whatever breakfast we want!”