Yuxin Ma on women journalists in Qing China during the late XIX century

This article examines the views of Yuxin Ma, Professor of East Asian History, on the emergence of the women’s movement in China. The study aims to investigate the history of the women’s press and the activities of women journalists in late nineteenth-century Qing China, as presented in Yuxin Ma’s work Women Journalists and Feminism in China, 1898-1937, using comparative and retrospective methods. The primary objective is to analyze the content of articles published in the Chinese Girls ’Progress newspaper in 1898. Women journalists of this era advocated for gender equality, drew readers’ attention to national issues, and underscored the vital role of women in strengthening statehood. The findings indicate that since 1898, women journalists have actively engaged in discussions surrounding critical issues affecting the future of Chinese women, including footbinding, education, independence, equality, marriage, motherhood, and political rights.