Wu Rongrong
Chinese feminist and women's rights activist
About Wu Rongrong
Born 1985. Wu Rongrong is a Chinese social worker and women's rights activist.
Wu Rongrong (; born 1985) is a Chinese feminist and a women's rights activist. She is a member of one of the larger feminist collectives in China known as the "Feminist Five" or the "Gang of Five".
Early life and career Wu Rongrong was born in 1985 in Jiaocheng County, Lüliang, Shanxi Province in North China. She attended China Women's University and majored in social work. She spent nearly two years volunteering at China Children's Press and Publication Group, a news and publication organization under the Communist Youth League of China that promotes youth activities and social engagement. She also spent nearly four years as a volunteer at New Path Foundation in China.
Wu experienced sexual harassment from her hometown's village officials during her university years.
Activism In 2015, to mark International Women's Day on 8 March, Wu and some other Chinese feminism activists, including the Five, planned to hand out pamphlets on public buses and subways to raise awareness on sexual harassment. However, their plan was thwarted by the police and ten activists were detained and faced public disorder charges. While detained, Wu was denied her hepatitis medication, leading to a deteriorating health condition. On 13 April, after weeks of detention, Wu was released from custody on bail together with four other activists. After the release, Wu's husband said in a telephone interview that Wu was "emotionally collapsed" from the foul language and threats she was subjected to in jail.
The activism of Wu and others received international support during this time. Hillary Clinton, running as a Democratic presidential candidate at the time, tweeted "The detention of Chinese women's activists must end" and described the government action as "inexcusable." John Kerry, then U.S. Secretary of State, made similar comments to call for the release of the activists.
In 2017, Wu was denied a permit to study law in Hong Kong by the local county security authority in Shanxi Province, despite the fact that she was already accepted by the University of Hong Kong prior to the block and granted a visa by the Hong Kong Immigration Department. In addition, she received a ten-year ban from leaving the country. However, through lengthy negotiations, she was granted permission to go to Hong Kong a week later.
When the #MeToo movement gathered momentum globally, Wu offered support and advice to activists campaigning for policies to prevent sexual harassment in Chinese universities.
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Important facts
People in Wu Rongrong's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
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Frequently asked questions
Who is Wu Rongrong?
Chinese feminist and women's rights activist
When was Wu Rongrong born?
Wu Rongrong was born in 1985 in People's Republic of China.
What is Wu Rongrong's occupation?
Wu Rongrong is a social worker and women's rights activist.
What nationality is Wu Rongrong?
Wu Rongrong is Chinese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Wu Rongrong. https://biography.guide/wu-rongrong/
MLA: "Wu Rongrong." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/wu-rongrong/.
Chicago: "Wu Rongrong." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/wu-rongrong/.
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