Two nongovernmental organizations and a law firm in Beijing have launched a joint network aimed at stopping sexual harassment, as the battle against it grows in China.
The Maple Women's Psychological Counseling Center, Beijing-based NGO Equality, and Qianqian Law Firm established the network on Monday following recent allegations of sexual harassment and assault against prominent Chinese media professionals, charity activists and intellectuals.
The network will provide help in several aspects, including legal consultations, legal aid, psychological counseling and media assistance. Training courses would be given to help protect women from sexual harassment.
"We want to offer reliable help for women who suffer from sexual harassment. We hope more victims would come forward to make the authorities aware of the seriousness of the situation," Lin Lixia, an employee at the Beijing-based Qianqian Law Firm, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
A 21-year-old woman on Saturday accused a manager of the Midi music festival of sexually assaulting her, after many women issued similar accusations against prominent men in media, culture, education and charities.
The network says it will establish an anti-sexual harassment mechanism in government administrative departments.
Government support is necessary for such initiatives, as anti-harassment efforts involve engagement from different government organizations and bodies, such as civil affairs, judicial and women's rights departments, Luo Ruixue, a member of the women's rights group Women Awakening Network, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
