On International Women's Day, led by Wang Shuo with assistance from WAT, the AFN (Action for Now) was officially announced.
The official website was launched, and the official account released the "AFN No. 1 White Paper."
AFN is dedicated to protecting women's rights and promoting gender equality, advocating for the respect and recognition of women's rights, ensuring that women's voices are heard, emphasising that all women should be able to make their own choices without discrimination or coercion.
The actual founder of AFN is Wang Shuo's son, Wang Jing, whose motivation for its creation stemmed from a question posed by his daughter after she was violated.
She asked, "Men are born from mothers, so why do they still bully girls?"
In the gender context, when women are violated, countless men, as the other binary gender, use imagination to portray or reason the events as impulsive or necessary, or simply label women as promiscuous. This subjective gender perspective objectifies women as mere objects to satisfy their voyeuristic tendencies.
Are girls born to be stared at and objectified? By what right?
Faced with his daughter's question, Wang Jing couldn't come up with a straightforward answer. For a long time afterwards, he tried to think and empathise from the perspective of women and as a father, unable to find all the answers. However, he must admit with honesty and shame that men have almost entirely dominated how "women's rights" are discriminated against and made invisible in everyday occurrences.
As a father, he hopes his daughter can express and seek help and comfort after enduring pain; as a man, he desires his daughter to take charge of her body autonomously, enjoy its pleasures to the fullest, and courageously voice her refusals; as a father and man striving to empathise with women, he wishes his princess to always have the courage to speak out against injustice, even to protest.
Regardless of how society, politics, and the economy evolve, women's rights are not just a topic for this era but an issue that every era should address. These rights that women deserve, yet are often overlooked, continue to exist.
It is difficult for those in a position of gender superiority and arrogance to admit that women are first and foremost independent individuals, not objectified playthings. They have the right to be imperfect, the right to be unarmed, and most importantly, the right to decide everything about themselves.
The reason why women's issues are easily misunderstood is because they disrupt the facade of harmony. When people start to confront the issues and no longer attempt to deceive others or themselves, the truth may surface. It may not always be resolved, but it will certainly set the gears in motion.
Therefore, the establishment of AFN is driven by the factors experienced by its members and a vision to protect gender equality, human rights, and the integrity of the gender environment.
The "White Paper" has sparked enthusiasm and discussion upon being circulated. Wang Shuo stated: "There is no need to show off with light green or bright red hues, you are already the best among flowers."
WAT reposted and commented: "Hey, girls, fight for yourself, act now!"
Zhong Shao adopted the phrase: "When we talk about feminism, what are we trying to express?"
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On the other hand, exemplified by the movie "Same or Not," a new attitude towards "women" has been added to AFN. The official movie account reposted and commented: "We are just standing at the two ends of the gender scale, in fact, there is no difference."
Chen Le reposted and commented: I am a woman from another dimension. I once enjoyed the physical and social advantages of being male, but when I truly became a woman, I confirmed the vigorous and profound power of "her."
Song Chunuan following commented: Marriage, reproduction, and independence have never been the pain points of women. We are ambitious, to find and become ourselves. Denying women, denying same-sex relationships, denying all inferior others you perceive is just a refusal to admit your inferiority.
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On the same night, a netizen posted a video that quickly went viral on the internet. In the video, two women were dragged into a corner of the World Trade Street by three men and beaten up. Several men looked ferocious, spouting threats, while the sounds of beating and the women's cries for help attracted a crowd.
Among the onlookers, two men stepped forward to confront the assailants, and then more passersby bravely approached to stop the attackers, despite the weapons in their hands.
The video lasted for 12 minutes, from the men dragging the women to the arrival of the police at the local police station.
The event location is identified as City C based on the IP address.
Five years ago, City C proposed the creation of a "female-friendly city." This concept is relatively new, but even five years before City C's initiative, scholars had already pointed towards gender equality as a guiding principle for building female-friendly cities.
Each city, rooted in its unique history and culture, has its own development positioning and planning, all of which are related to the future of the city. Four years ago, City C began comprehensive efforts to construct a female-friendly city. With no precedent to follow, the city continuously integrated the concepts of "her power" and "her empowerment" into its urban culture. This not only ensured the safety of women in various aspects within the city but also enhanced their sense of security, happiness, and fulfilment in living and working in City C.
Last year, City C was even nominated as a model female-friendly city.
In the process of building a female-friendly city, City C mainly focuses on "her economy" and "her perspective," enhancing inclusivity, convenience, and safety in urban development. It also considers women's needs and viewpoints in planning and decision-making processes, encouraging women to participate in all areas of urban life on an equal basis with men. This shift aims to transition from an efficiency-driven "function-oriented" and appearance-focused "form-oriented" urban development to a more resident-centric "life-oriented" approach.
To further create a female-friendly city, City C has released the first five-year plan white paper and plans to introduce corresponding incentive policies to encourage eligible employers to implement shared parental leave and menstrual leave. The city will increase the number of female restrooms in public places such as shopping malls, parks, and scenic spots, add unisex public toilets, and encourage eligible hotels and restaurants to establish women-only floors and sections. Shopping centres and streets will provide facilities and services catering to women's needs, such as mother and baby rooms and designated parking spaces.
By involving women in the planning, design, and implementation processes of the city, ensuring their voice in the planning process, City C aims to uphold the fundamental principle of a female-friendly environment as proposed by the United Nations - ensuring that everyone has a voice.