Wenyi Li

Li Wenyi (李文宜 1903–1997), born in Wuhan, Hubei, graduated from Hubei Nü Zi Shi Fan Xue Xiao (Hubei Girls’ School of Education), was a Chinese woman activist and politician. Her activism began as early as 1922 as she started to get involved in the Women's Movement Alliance (WMA) to advocate for women's equal rights and political participation in China, promoting female labor protection and education equality. In 1926, she joined Kuomintang (KMT) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and was then expelled by both in 1927, but her contacts with both was maintained throughout her activism. When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1938, Li Wenyi joined a local women's resistance group to defend her hometown. In August 1943, he invited Li Wenyi to join the League as an organizer.

The 1944 Women’s Day celebration marked a significant breakthrough for Li Wenyi to broaden her influence and build political rapport. Li Wenyi initially planned to publish a special Women’s Day newspaper issue and she had successfully secured space in several major Kunming newspapers, including Saodang Bao (扫荡报), Guomin Ribao (国民日报), Yunnan Ribao (云南日报), Zhengyi Bao (正义报). The Yunnan Women's Association and its official publication, Funü Xunkan (妇女旬刊), were officially registered in Kunming. This move facilitated Li Wenyi's network development with local left-wing women activists and female students, and the Association also strengthened its institutional and political connections with Chongqing by its publication.