Cometh the hour, cometh the women

New female-centric online talk show explores a diverse range of topics from a uniquely feminine perspective, Xing Wen reports.

In 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women took place in Beijing, bringing together over 15,000 female representatives from around the world, alongside delegates from a number of NGOs.

To this day, it remains the largest and most attended event in the history of the United Nations.

Back then, in alignment with the principles of gender equality emphasized during the conference, and in reference to the slogan in China that "women hold up half of the sky", a television program titled Half the Sky, dedicated to women's issues, began airing on CCTV.

The show covered various subjects, including sexual harassment, extramarital affairs, domestic violence, the rights of unmarried mothers and the breaking down of gender stereotypes. Remarkably, these themes remain pertinent, even today.

Zhang Yue, the show's host, displayed empathy, coupled with a sharp questioning style and witty humor.

She explored the topic of women's prisons, engaging with those who had committed crimes in defiance of domestic violence. She also ventured to a remote village to interview a woman named Liu Xiaoyang, who, when expressing a strong desire for greater knowledge of the outside world and richer intellectual pursuits, passionately declared, "I would rather endure the pain (of being discontent with my circumstances). I don't want to become numb".