NEGOTIATING FEMINISM FROM WITHIN: MEDIATED AGENCY AND DIGITAL DISCOURSE IN CHINA'S WOMEN’S FEDERATION

<p dir="ltr">This dissertation examines how the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF)—a legacy<br>institution rooted in China’s socialist past—employs WeChat public accounts to construct gender<br>discourse and mediate contemporary feminist narratives. Through a mixed-methods approach<br>combining cross-provincial content analysis and interviews, the study reveals how the ACWF<br>selectively revives socialist feminist ideals while reframing them within current political and<br>developmental priorities. These digital narratives institutionalize a form of party-politicized<br>feminism that emphasizes women’s labor and social responsibility, while also negotiating with<br>local conditions and public expectations. Rather than functioning solely as a tool of top-down<br>propaganda, the ACWF demonstrates mediated agency—balancing ideological alignment with<br>pragmatic responsiveness. This research sheds light on how state-sanctioned feminism in China<br>is continuously reshaped through digital infrastructures, revealing the complex interplay between<br>historical legacies, governance, and gender discourse in the digital era.</p>