Translating feminism in China: A historical perspective

Feminisms in history have developed in many different social and cultural contexts, and translation has often played a role, as in the case of Chinese feminism. The birth of Chinese feminism was “an event of global proportions” at the turn of the 20th century (Liu, Karl and Ko 2013, 4-6), with Western feminism being introduced into China. This study provides a historical overview of what feminist works have been translated since the early 20th century and the impact of the translations on Chinese feminism, with a focus on non-literary works due to scope. It starts with a brief explanation of Western feminism and Chinese feminism, which constructs a framework for the subsequent overview, meanwhile revealing both differences and interconnections. The subsequent inventory of translations of Western feminist works in different periods of time in the history of Chinese feminism further shows the trajectories and features of Chinese feminism in different waves and demonstrates the relationship between Western and Chinese feminisms. The exposed interaction and interconnection between the imported feminism and local context make evident the role of translation in the development of Chinese feminism. This study provides a long-neglected angle for both Chinese feminist historiography and Chinese translation historiography.