Women on China’s Internet: Consumption, contestation, and challenges for empowerment

This essay critically examines the evolving relationship between women and the Internet in China, incorporating a multidimensional theoretical framework to explore the nuances of digital access, usage, and empowerment over the past 30 years. While noting a significant reduction in the gender gap in Internet access, the essay highlights persistent gender disparities in usage and outcomes, influenced by socio-economic and cultural factors. It also challenges simplistic binaries by considering the complex interplay of empowerment narratives and structural constraints within the digital sphere. The essay advocates for a reevaluation of theoretical models to better understand the dynamic process of gender equality in cyberspace, emphasizing the need for ongoing research into the intersection of gender, technology, and power in China.