Ye Haiyan

Ye Haiyan (born 1975) is a Chinese women's rights activist, best known for her actions in favor of prostitutes and children against violence and sexual aggression. She exposed the harsh conditions of local brothels, in which sex workers were sexually and physically abused. She is also well known by the name of Hooligan Sparrow (流氓燕).

Activism Sex workers' rights In 2005, Ye created a website to support sex workers. In 2006 Ye set up the China Grassroots Women's Rights Workshop in a red-light district in Wuhan to provide support for sex workers and defend their rights. She was not allowed to register the workshop as a non-governmental organization (NGO) by any government agency.

By 2010, Ye's determined writing and advocacy had gained her the trust of better known Chinese artists like Ai Weiwei.

In May 2013, she was attacked in her home and arrested for being a whistleblower because she exposed the harsh conditions of local brothels, in which sex workers were sexually and physically abused.

Schoolgirls rape case On 27 May 2013, Ye protested against a school director in Hainan accused of raping six female students, aged 11 to 14. This sparked national outrage via Sina Weibo – a microblogging website that is one of the largest social media platforms in China. She held a poster to tell the principal to have a room with her, implying to have sex with her instead of the youth: "Principal, call me if you want to get a room. Leave the pupils alone." Shortly after the release of her online campaigns against these cases of child abuse, Ye was physically attacked in her home by women who she believed to be sent by the local government.

In June 2013, the filmmaker Ai Xiaoming worked together with Ye in her campaign to publicize the case of the six school girls, who were raped by the school principal and a government official. On 6 July 2013, Ye alongside her daughter and boyfriend Ling Huobo, were left abandoned on the side of the road by Guangdong secret agents. was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016. The documentary depicts Ye's 2013 campaign protesting against the school girls rape incident and how Ye and other activists become targets of harassment for these protests and their continuing efforts to raise awareness about the case.

Personal life Ye's activism has exposed the authorities and school officials but has had a negative effect on her daughter because schools are not willing to enroll her. injuring three of her attackers. Ye and her family faced harassment following her release, and eventually had to leave their home and reside in the Guangdong province.