Sex, lies and video games: the heated debate over sexism and misogyny in China

A young woman expelled from university for having sex with a foreigner. A man jailed for raping his fiancée after paying her the bride price. And a video game portraying women as gold diggers.

These are among the cases fuelling heated debate, and outrage, on Chinese social media in recent months over sexism, misogyny and gender stereotypes.

The discussion started in April when a court in Datong, Shanxi province upheld the guilty verdict and three-year prison sentence of a man who had raped his fiancée the day after they got engaged.

The case centred on whether the bride price he paid of 100,000 yuan (US$13,900) and a gold ring was considered marital consent and a tacit agreement for sex.

In June, there was anger over stereotyping and sexism after a Chinese online game originally called Revenge on Gold Diggers shot to the top of gaming platforms on day one.

Players of the game are male characters being pursued by manipulative women who only want one thing: their money. The backlash prompted the game’s creators to change the name to Emotional Anti-Fraud Simulator the day after its release.

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