‘Men only’ job adverts prompt women’s rights group in China to take on employers over gender discrimination
- The ‘Inspection Squad for Workplace Gender Discrimination’ has notched some successes, with employers changing the wording of ‘male only’ job ads
- However, the campaign group has to deal with official inaction over the issue, and the hostility of some men
By day, Bai Zhi is a white-collar worker, researching and writing reports about business for a large Beijing corporation. By night, she is an online vigilante, hunting down gender discrimination in recruitment advertisements and Chinese workplaces.
The 27-year-old career woman, who has used an alias for the past seven years to avoid detection, is one of the founders of the “Inspection Squad for Workplace Gender Discrimination”.
She says the squad, which now has 74 members, aims to empower women, and build a platform for improved workplace communication.
She admits it is a difficult battle. China’s labour laws state that employment policies should not discriminate based on gender, but local government bureaus interpret the laws in different ways, Bai said.
The few that do respond positively change the wording of the job ads, but the squad can’t tell if the companies merely refrain from publicly saying “men only” while engaging in discrimination in practice.