Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-24-2025
Abstract
This article examines the hashtag feminism movement#SistersFightPandemicWithEase (#SFPWE) on Weibo, analyzing how it navigated state censorship, online misogyny, and platform governance during the Wuhan lockdown in China. Through qualitative analysis, I argue that #SFPWE diverges from traditional hashtag feminism,instead operating as a form of pragmatic feminism in crisis. The movement embodies what I term tactical feminist activism—an issue-based advocacy that prioritizes pragmatic problem-solving over structural critique. Its tactical nature lies in its ability to appear politically non-threatening and temporarily valuable to authorities. However, findings indicate that #SFPWE ultimately reinforced state legitimacy rather than challenging the structural gender inequalities underlying the crisis. This study highlights the trade-offs and inherent limitations of feminist activism under authoritarian constraints, revealing the inherent tensions among state power, digital activism, and feminist resistance in non-democratic contexts.
This article was published Open Access through the CCU Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund. The article was first published in the journal Feminist Media Studies: https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2025.2564858
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Sun, Q. (2025). “Sisters, are you running out of menstrual supplies??”:exploring #SistersFightPandemicWithEase and tactical hashtag feminism in the COVID-19 crisis. Feminist Media Studies, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2025.2564858. Available at: https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/interdisciplinary/2