Digital Advocacy and Menstrual Poverty: The Role of Chinese Short Video Platforms in Shaping Gen Z Awareness
Siyu (Elsa) Cai
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Abstract:
Introduction: Menstrual poverty remains a persistent yet underexamined issue in China, shaped by enduring cultural taboos, uneven access to menstrual health education, and structural inequalities affecting rural and low-income communities. In the absence of a standardised national curriculum and open public discourse, short-video platforms have increasingly emerged as informal spaces for menstrual advocacy. This study investigates the role of Chinese short-video platforms in shaping Gen Z’s awareness of menstrual poverty from 2020 to the present and considers how their influence may evolve in the future. Methods: Adopting a qualitative research design, the study combines critical discourse analysis and visual semiotic analysis within feminist theoretical frameworks, including digital feminism, intersectionality, reproductive justice, and biopolitics. The dataset comprises 15 of the most liked videos published on Douyin under the hashtag #menstrualshaming (Yuejinxiuchi 月经羞耻) between 2020 and 2025, along with the 25 most liked comments associated with each video. The analysis focuses on language use, narrative structure, visual symbolism, and audience engagement. Results: Findings indicate that creators frequently employ first-person storytelling and emotionally charged narrative arcs that move from stigma to empowerment. Explicit references to menstruation challenge euphemistic conventions and disrupt culturally embedded taboos. Visual strategies—such as close-ups of sanitary products, symbolic use of red elements, and warm lighting—function as forms of visual activism, transforming previously concealed objects into symbols of pride and resistance. The inclusion of male participants reframes menstruation as a broader social concern rather than a private women’s issue. Comment sections demonstrate action-oriented engagement, with users reporting initiatives such as “pad help boxes” and public expressions of solidarity. However, activism is often shaped by algorithmic and commercial logics, and systemic critique remains limited. Discussion: Short-video platforms play a pivotal role in reshaping public discourse on menstrual poverty by enabling affective solidarity and normalising open conversation among Gen Z. While these digital spaces foster empowerment and visibility, they operate within market-driven infrastructures that may commodify activism and prioritise individual transformation over structural reform. Sustainable progress requires institutional reinforcement, including comprehensive menstrual health education, inclusive digital content standards, and broader policy recognition of menstrual justice as a public concern. Conclusion: Chinese short-video platforms have become influential sites of menstrual advocacy, redefining the boundaries of public discourse and expanding who is authorised to speak about bodily experience. Although not a substitute for systemic reform, their capacity to cultivate visibility, solidarity, and generational change positions them as significant actors in the evolving landscape of menstrual justice in China.
Keywords:
Algorithmic culture, Digital activism, Gender discourse, Menstrual justice, Platform-mediated communication, Social media advocacy
Citation: Siyu (Elsa) Cai (2026). Digital Advocacy and Menstrual Poverty: The Role of Chinese Short Video Platforms in Shaping Gen Z Awareness. Horizon J. Hum. Soc. Sci. Res. 8 (1), 233–244. https://doi.org/10.37534/bp.jhssr.2026.v8.n1.id1361.p233
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