Compass Gender: China’s Ministry of Education Takes Steps to Fight the “Feminization” of Boys

Chinese students participate in a mandatory physical education class. (Flickr)

The Chinese Ministry of Education released plans in late January to address what is seen as the growing problem of “feminization” in boys, which raised renewed debate among Chinese people over traditional gender roles. The new plans come specifically in response to a call to address the problem last May by Si Zefu, a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official.

In his proposal, Si Zefu decried the state of young men and boys in China, complaining that they have grown “weak, self-abased and timid,” characteristics he associated with women. He claimed that the primary cause of this phenomenon is the lack of contact with male figures in young boys’ lives, particularly due to the majority of elementary and middle school teachers being women. 

Unless “effective control” is administered, “the Chinese people’s existence and development will inevitably be harmed,” he said.

In order to encourage “masculinity” among schoolboys, the Ministry of Education will reform its physical education (PE) system. The plan focuses on increasing the importance of PE classes, which are often seen as “secondary” in importance compared to other classes science or literature. 

Concrete steps include hiring more talented PE teachers, such as retired athletes, and revamping the PE examination system. Under these new testing guidelines, students without special circumstances will not be able to graduate unless they can reach certain “physical standards.” 

The new plans also call for research into the influence of internet celebrities on youth. This research follows another criticism from Si Zefu, who claims that youth are increasingly pursuing the style of “xiao xian rou,” a term that literally means “little fresh meat.” Often used to describe teen idols, the term refers to men who are seen as “soft” and “tender.” In recent years, these male internet celebrities who wear makeup and dress androgynously have dominated popular media, raising concerns about their influence on children.

The Ministry of Education’s plan has drawn a lot of criticism from the people of China, which they have expressed through China’s fervent internet culture. One Weibo user challenged the need for any of these reforms in the first place, writing, “Boys are people too, they have various human emotions and desires as well, timidness and tenderness are just peoples’ personalities.”

Another also takes issue with the gender roles implicit in the idea of feminization, asking, “What is that bold and brave female soldier or female cop, then? Is that the “masculinization” of girls?” 

This proposal is not an isolated one and comes at a time where China struggles to decide which stances it will take on questions of gender and sexuality. In January 2020, the Chinese government raised the hopes of activists pushing for same-sex marriage legalization when it acknowledged for the first time a petition pushing for marriage equality, even though the government still opposed it.

China also signaled a small amount of toleration for queer people when it allowed a gay kiss to be shown from the last Star Wars film when it was released in China in late 2019. 

Despite these signs of change, the hopes of activists for tolerance were crushed last year when the Chinese government abruptly shut down Shanghai Pride, the largest LGBTQ+ organization in China. These mixed and often misleading signals have left feminist and queer activists unsure of the trajectory that the government plans to take regarding gender and sexuality. 

Much to the activists’ dismay, the Ministry of Education’s new guidelines seem to suggest that the government will continue to oppose any efforts of the public to challenge traditional gender roles.