From the Boudoir to the Newspaper Office: Women's Public Discourse in Early Chinese Women's Periodicals (1898-1937)

I believe this newspaper is saving 200 million of us,
the starting point for achieving equal rights.

In 1898, China's first women's periodical was published. Since then, women entered the public sphere, gradually transforming from talented ladies in their boudoirs to professional journalists. Until the War of Resistance Against Japan, women's periodicals flourished, not only gathering vibrant female voices and fostering female cultural communities but also becoming an important front for promoting women's liberation and social change. From national issues to personal affairs, female journalists always took women themselves as the starting and ending point, carving out a discourse space for women in a male-dominated society.
This book examines over a hundred women's periodicals in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Tokyo between 1898 and 1937, outlining the historical portrait of female journalists and depicting a history of modern and contemporary feminism through periodicals. In addition to women's movements led by the KMT and CCP, the author also uncovers diverse groups such as Christian women, liberal feminists, and social reformist women. Despite differences in stance, class, and beliefs, they always collectively protected the space for women's public expression. Amidst historical turmoil, they adjusted their survival strategies with national changes, allowing women's voices to persist, expand, and resonate to this day.