This paper explores how women exercised power and agency within male-dominated societies through alternative forms of influence. Focusing on Nüshu, the world’s only known women-exclusive writing system, it examines how patriarchal structures shaped both its emergence and decline. Through analyzing Nüshu as a medium for female expression and alternative literacy within a restrictive Confucian society, the paper argues that women developed their own forms of resistance despite limited access to formal institutions. By examining ideological transformations, educational reforms, government policies, and the disappearance of female-centered spaces, this research reveals how male-led modernization and shifting power structures ultimately marginalized women’s cultural knowledge and alternative forms of power.
For more details, please click on any of the pictures on the right-hand side to access the full-length paper, or use the link below:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hHRcaKUOyv_FaqaXFpnX4wLjds5mUIT8UNnUL5HTpjk/edit?tab=t.0