BEIJING ¨C Two years ago, Zhou Xiaoxuan publicly accused one of China¡¯s most recognizable people of groping and forcibly kissing her, setting off a firestorm in a country that did not specify sexual harassment as a legal offense.
Last week Zhou and dozens of other women who started China¡¯s #MeToo movement won a small victory when the nation¡¯s parliament enacted legislation that for the first time defines actions that can constitute sexual harassment.
The reference in the new civil code, approved on Thursday by a session of the National People¡¯s Congress, is largely a symbolic step. While it holds schools, businesses and other organizations responsible for preventing and dealing with sexual harassment, it does not lay out guidelines for enforcement.
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