Li Tingting facts for kids

Li Tingting (Chinese: 李婷婷; pinyin: Lǐ Tíngtíng; born 1989), who is also known by the name Li Maizi (Chinese: 李麦子), is a Chinese activist. She is famous for her work to support gender equality, which means making sure everyone has the same rights and opportunities, no matter their gender.

In 2015, she and four other activists, known as the "Feminist Five", were held by police. They had been planning a protest to raise awareness about making public transportation safer for everyone.

Early Life and Schooling

Li Tingting was born in 1989 in a countryside area of Beijing, China. Her father delivered fertilizer for a living, and her mother worked in a factory. Growing up, Li saw that her mother had to do all the work at home even after working at the factory.

To get a good education, Li moved several times. When she was three, her family moved to the Shunyi district for her mother's job. She later moved back to her hometown to attend school because of a household registration rule called hukou. After this was sorted out, she returned to Shunyi for high school.

Finding a New Name

During her school years, Li went through a difficult time. She felt different from many of her peers, and one friend was unkind to her about it. This experience was very hard, but it made her stronger.

It inspired her to change her name from Tingting, which is a common girl's name, to Maizi. In Chinese, Maizi means "rice plant." To Li, this new name stood for freedom and being connected to the earth. In 2008, using her new name, Li went to Chang’an University in Xi'an to study public administration.

A Voice for Fairness

Li began her work as an activist while she was in college. She started by teaching her classmates about health and safety. In her second year, she created a group that offered support and advice to other university students.

By 2013, this group had around 200 volunteers. They worked to support equal rights and pointed out unfair rules in government and businesses. Li also became interested in using performance art to share her message in a creative way.

The "Hurt Bride" Protest

On Valentine's Day in 2012, Li and two other volunteers did a performance to raise awareness about unfair treatment in families. They walked down a busy shopping street in Beijing wearing wedding dresses with red stains on them.

While some people in the crowd were supportive, others felt uncomfortable. City officials told the women they should have registered their event. The next day, many newspapers and websites wrote about their protest.

The "Occupy Men's Room" Protest

Li also led a protest called "Occupy Men's Room." She and other activists did this to show that the lines for women's restrooms were often much longer than for men's. They wanted more toilets built for women.

The first protest was in Guangzhou on February 19, 2012. Because of their efforts, the city government agreed to make women's restrooms 150% larger. A similar protest in Beijing also got a lot of attention. This led to new national rules for designing public toilets.

Shaving Heads for Equal Chances

In August 2012, Li and four other women publicly shaved their heads in Guangzhou. This was a protest against unfair rules at some schools. These schools were making it harder for girls to get in by requiring them to have higher test scores than boys.

Creative Protests for Fair Jobs

In 2013, Li attended a job fair in Xi'an dressed as a famous fictional character named Dongfang Bubai. In stories, this character makes a great sacrifice to become a powerful martial artist. Li used this character to draw attention to the fact that many companies were only hiring men for certain jobs.

A Difficult Time

On March 6, 2015, police came to Li's apartment. At the time, she and other activists were planning a protest for International Women's Day. They wanted to bring attention to the need for safety on public transportation.

The police searched her apartment and took her electronics. Li and her partner were taken to a police station. Later, Li and two other activists, Wei Tingting and Wang Man, were questioned about their planned protest. The police asked them many questions, especially about whether they were getting help from other countries.

After being held for 37 days, Li and the four other activists were released on April 13, 2015. Their release was conditional, which meant that the police could still press charges against them later.

Continuing Her Work

After her release, Li found that she was put on a media blacklist in China. This meant that news outlets in the country were not allowed to interview her or report on her work. The organization she worked for was also shut down.

Despite these challenges, Li continued her studies and graduated from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom in 2019.

She has written articles for international newspapers like The Guardian, sharing her story and talking about women's rights in China. She has also spoken at events in the United States and the UK. In 2023, Li left China and now lives in New York with her wife.

Awards

• 100 Women (BBC) - 2015
• Gold Award, Contemporary Art Schools' Students' Nominated Exhibition, Today's Art Museum - 2007
• Honorable Award, Shanghai Youth Art Exhibition - 2007

Art and Exhibitions

Li Tingting is also an artist. Her art is modern and often uses watercolors, especially with shades of blue or pink. She paints landscapes, objects, and sometimes piles of things like plastic bottles or glasses.

Between 2005 and 2013, her art was shown in 36 different exhibitions.

See also

In Spanish: Li Tingting para niños