BEIJING - At one of China’s leading universities, two feminist students chose the annual Girls’ Day — which typically sees Chinese men express their affection for women — to hang banners and provoke an increasingly sensitive debate: about gender equality.

As men traditionally give little gifts on Girls’ Day, one banner declared: “No Free Gifts from Boys – I Want Free Rights in Employment!” One of the organizers, who is unwilling to be identified, said: “The call for gender equality should be heard, especially on Girls’ Day. It should be an occasion for girls to speak up, not for boys to land girlfriends.”

However, controversy arose. Some people didn’t think that hanging such banners on Girls’ Day was appropriate. “Boys buy gifts to show their care, while girls seems to blame the employment discrimination on boys but not those companies refusing to hire them,” said Li Xuanzhang, a young man who felt “hurt by the banner.”

The latest Global Gender Gap Report, published annually by the World Economic Forum, revealed that China’s rank of gender equality index had dropped from No.69 to No.99 in the past four years.

As the gender gap widening, issues of feminism and gender equality became popular on Chinese social network, activists even organized some campaigns and protests.

As for the two feminist students, it was the first action they took calling for gender equality. “Controversies may exist but many youngsters shared pictures of banners and showed their agreements on social media, including boys.”

Jin, who helped hang the banner, had been seen as feminist by the organizer. However, the young man denied to identify himself as a feminist. “I don’t know much about feminism, I just tend to support the minority,” said Jin. The same situation happened to another young man helping the organizers.

The skeptical attitude they took partially reflected the awkward situation. According to the report of Feminism and Gender Equality Around the World, published by Ipsos Global in 2017, 87% of investigated Chinese claimed to actively support women’s rights while 74% defined themselves as feminist. Compared with 31% of investigated Chinese women, 37% of Chinese men would feel scared to speak up for gender equality regarding of potential consequences.

“Determined activists of gender equality are much fewer than waving people and onlookers,” the organizer talked about the embarrassing situation,“there is still a long way to go.”