Zheng Churan
{{short description|Chinese women's rights activist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{family name hatnote|Zheng|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Zheng Churan
| image = Zheng Churan.png
| caption = A portrait of Zheng Churan.
| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|27|2016|11|21}}
| birth_place = Guangzhou, China
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Chinese
| other_names =
| known_for = Feminist activism
| occupation = Writer, activist
}}
Zheng Churan ({{lang-zh|c=鄭楚然|p=Zhèng Chǔrán}}) is a Chinese women's rights activist and feminist. Together with four other activists, she was detained, in March 2015, shortly before events planned for International Women's Day.{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/13/world/china-releases-women-activists/|title=China releases 5 female activists|publisher=CNN|date=14 April 2015|access-date=21 November 2016 }} They are collectively known as the Feminist Five. In November 2016, she became one of the BBC's 100 Women 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-38012048|title=BBC 100 Women 2016: Who is on the list?|publisher=BBC|date=21 November 2016|access-date=21 November 2016 }}
Protest
In 2015, she and four other activists (Wei Tingting, Wang Man, Wu Rongrong, and Li Tingting, collectively known as the "Feminist Five"{{cite news|last1=Murdoch|first1=Scott|title=Wei Tingting vows to continue protests in China|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/wei-tingting-vows-to-continue-protests-in-china/story-e6frg6so-1227337751562|access-date=2 November 2015|work=The Australian|date=May 6, 2015}}) were detained by the Chinese government just prior to International Women's Day, the day they planned to execute a campaign against sexual harassment on public transportation.{{cite news|last1=Jiang|first1=Steven|title=Released Chinese feminists: Out of jail but not free|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/14/asia/china-feminists-release-jiang/|access-date=2 November 2015|publisher=CNN|date=April 14, 2015}} All five women were released on bail after 37 days of detention.{{cite news|last1=Jacobs|first1=Andrew|title=Taking Feminist Battle to China's Streets, and Landing in Jail|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/world/asia/chinese-womens-rights-activists-fall-afoul-of-officials.html?_r=1|access-date=2 November 2015|work=The New York Times|date=April 5, 2015}} Had they been convicted, the women could have faced up to three years in prison for "creating a disturbance".{{cite news|title=Chinese police release feminist activists|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/13/chinese-police-free-three-of-five-feminist-activists|access-date=2 November 2015|work=The Guardian|date=April 13, 2015}}
The BBC News highlights Zheng's contributions to organizing events, her support for women's rights. She is also reported to have fought for women to be given menstrual leave.
In December 2016, Zheng wrote an open letter to Donald Trump warning him to avoid sexist behaviour in the future.{{Cite web | title=Chinese activist Zheng Churan: 'Hey Trump, feminists are watching you | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-38325121 | work=BBC News | date=15 December 2016 | access-date=15 December 2016 }}
She and Xiao Meili operate an online store selling original designs about feminism on Taobao called Dúpǐn Shāngdiàn ({{lang|zh|独品商店}}).
In 2018, she was the plaintiff in a defamation case against Kù Wán Shíyànshì ({{lang|zh|酷玩实验室}}), a Chinese independent media platform. They had previously accused Zheng Churan of running an international sex trafficking operation.{{Cite web|url=https://chinadigitaltimes.net/chinese/2018/03/%E5%A4%A7%E5%85%94%EF%BC%9A%E9%83%91%E6%A5%9A%E7%84%B6%E8%AF%89%E9%85%B7%E7%8E%A9%E5%AE%9E%E9%AA%8C%E5%AE%A4%E5%90%8D%E8%AA%89%E4%BE%B5%E6%9D%83%E4%B8%80%E6%A1%88%E5%B7%B2%E7%AB%8B%E6%A1%88|title=大兔：郑楚然诉酷玩实验室名誉侵权一案已立案|trans-title=Big rabbit: Zheng Churan v. Cool play laboratory reputation infringement case has been filed|website=China Digital Times|language=zh|date=28 March 2018}} The case remains ongoing.
Zheng Churan continues to be an outspoken activist and prolific writer on feminist and human rights issues.{{Cite web|url=https://supchina.com/author/zhengchuran/|title=Zheng Churan, Author at SupChina|website=SupChina|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-30}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.jianjiaobuluo.com/content/5515|title=为什么我看见SK-II的相亲角广告后，害怕得迟迟不肯转发-尖椒部落|website=www.jianjiaobuluo.com|access-date=2019-03-30}}
Arrest of Wei Zhili
On March 20, 2019, at around 2 a.m., Zheng's husband Wei Zhili was taken away by the police. As a journalist and a labor activist, Wei was accused by the police of "disturbing public order" and needing "education" after being "brainwashed".{{cite web|url=https://www.hongkongfp.com/2019/03/21/police-detain-labour-activist-wei-zhili-southern-china-wife-says/|title=Police detain labour activist Wei Zhili in southern China, wife says|date=21 March 2019|access-date=30 March 2019 }} He worked with Chinese laborers to obtain government compensation after they had been stricken with pneumoconiosis from unsafe working conditions.{{cite web|url=https://clb.org.hk/content/pneumoconiosis-workers-prevented-showing-support-detained-labour-activist-wei-zhili/|title=Pneumoconiosis workers prevented from showing support for detained labour activist Wei Zhili}} For days after Wei's arrest, his wife and parents were not informed of his whereabouts.{{Cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nishitajha/zheng-churan-feminist-five-china-running|title=This Woman Is Running To Save The Love Of Her Life|last1=Jha|first1=Natasha|date=2019-06-07|work=Buzzfeed News|access-date=2019-08-10|last2=Lee|first2=Chermaine}}
After her husband's incarceration, Zheng began an online campaign to bring attention and raise awareness to Wei's case. She plans to run 10,000 kilometers and post a daily update of her progress on Twitter.{{Cite news|url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/labor-torture-04302019135333.html|title=Labor Editors 'At Risk of Torture', Dozens of Labor Activists Behind Bars|last=Han|first=Jie|date=2019-04-30|work=Radio Free Asia|access-date=2019-08-10}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Feminism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zheng, Churan}}
Category:Chinese women's rights activists
Category:Chinese LGBTQ rights activists
Category:Writers from Guangzhou