Some stories trend for a week and vanish from public attention, but the people in those stories continue to live with their consequences. The Xuzhou chained woman, later identified as Xiao Huamei, still carries the weight of years of captivity and forced childbirth.
Zhang Zhan, the citizen journalist who reported on Wuhan during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, continues to face restrictions and surveillance even after her release from prison.
Chinese state media celebrated women’s achievements with official statements and messages of progress on International Women’s Day but for some women, the reality is harsher. The case of Xiao Huamei, the Xuzhou chained woman, and journalist Zhang Zhan are reminders that when a woman’s existence challenges the state, recognition and protection are often replaced with suppression. Their stories reveal the gaps between the official narrative and the lived experiences of women in China.
Eight Children and Years of Captivity
Xiao Huamei’s story came to global attention in early 2022 when videos circulated online showing her chained inside a dilapidated structure in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province. Reports revealed she had been trafficked, forced into marriage, and compelled to bear eight children over many years, all under inhumane conditions no one should endure.
When authorities finally responded, their public statements were incomplete. Local officials faced limited punishment, but the larger systemic issues of trafficking, forced marriage, and repeated childbirth in rural China were never addressed.
While the public expressed outrage, censors acted faster, closing down discussion. Justice for Xiao Huamei never fully arrived; her story was ended prematurely.
A Citizen Journalist in Wuhan
Zhang Zhan, a lawyer from Shanghai, left her practice to report independently. In early 2020, she traveled to Wuhan to document the unfolding Covid-19 crisis, capturing crowded hospitals and frightened residents realities far harsher than official accounts suggested.
For her reporting, she was arrested in May 2020 and sentenced to four years in prison on charges widely criticized by human rights groups as politically motivated. During her imprisonment, she reportedly staged hunger strikes in protest.
Even after her release in May 2024, her freedom was restricted, and surveillance continued. Reports indicate she was later detained again and reportedly sentenced to another term, highlighting the ongoing suppression she faces.
Why Their Stories Still Matter
Both women remain emblematic of a broader failure, the systems around them ensured their stories could not lead to accountability. Xiao Huamei endured captivity, forced marriage, and repeated childbirth, while Zhang Zhan was punished for reporting a public health crisis.
International Women’s Day was meant to honor women and advocate for the protections they still lack, but that effort must include real names, not just themes or hashtags. Xiao Huamei. Zhang Zhan. Their courage demands to be remembered, and their cases deserve proper resolution.
