Press Release

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Coalition of Students Resisting the CCP curated a photo exhibition titled “Portraits of Freedom: The Womxn Driving Our Freedom Movements.” Community members are invited to visit the exhibition at the Harvard Cabot Discovery Bar from March 25th, 2024 to April 1st, 2024.

Sponsored by the Harvard College Women’s Center, the exhibition celebrated the womxn who have played pivotal roles in the Tibetan, Uyghur, Hong Konger, Taiwanese, and Chinese freedom movements as academics, survivors, government officials, lawyers, movement leaders, and more. The series of photos and placards shed warranted light on stories of womxn’s dignity, humanity and resilience in times of profound difficulty and danger.

The exhibition uplifting the truth and lived experiences of the following womxn:

Tibet
– Ngawang Sangdrol la was one of the youngest political prisoners in the world and member of the Drapchi 14. Swipe to the end to read two songs recorded by the 14 nuns.
– Adhe Tapontsang la was one of the longest serving Tibetan political prisoners and a key organizer in the 1950s Khampa resistance. 
– Lhadon Tethong la is a prominent human rights advocate, former SFT Executive Director, and a co-founder of the Tibet Action Institute.
– On March 12, 1959, or Tibetan Women’s Uprising Day, thousands of Tibetan women took to the streets of Lhasa to voice their opposition to China’s illegal occupation of Tibet.
– During the 1995 UN Women’s Conference in Beijing, Tibetan women tied rags over their mouth in a direct action that called out China’s hypocrisy and highlighted the oppression Tibetan women face under Chinese occupation.

Taiwan
– Tsai Ing-wen is the first female president of Taiwan, leading Taiwan to make great strides in democracy and human rights.
– Chen Chu fought on the front lines for Taiwan’s democracy as part of the Kaohsiung Eight and now leads the Control Yuan and National Human Rights Commission.
– Bi-khim Hsiao is Taiwan’s current vice president-elect and has played an integral role in advancing the country’s global presence in her former position as Taiwan’s representative to the U.S.
– Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s first Minister of Digital Affairs and first transgender person to sit on the cabinet, has utilized her ingenuity to enhance democracy and combat disinformation with technology.
– Fan Yun was a key student leader in the Wild Lily Student Movement that marked a significant step forward in Taiwan’s democratization and now serves on the Legislative Yuan.

China
– Lin Zhao was a writer, journalist, and prominent Chinese dissident during the Cultural Revolution.
– Wang Chaohua is a student leader during the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests for democratic reform in China.
– Kou Yanding advocated for the rights of individuals with disabilities and promoted democratic ideals, enduring illegal detention and long-term surveillance.
– Sophia Huang Xueqin is a journalist and #MeToo activist currently imprisoned on charges of subversion of state power.
– In the A4 Revolution, a significant number of Chinese women and queer communities took to the streets.

Hong Kong
– Gwyneth Ho is a journalist turned full-time pro-democracy activist.
– Agnes Chow is a former spokesperson of Scholarism and cofounder of Demosistō.
– The #ProtestToo movement called for an end to the Hong Kong police’s use of sexual violence against protestors
– Tiffany Yuen is a former District Councillor and Vice Chairperson of Demosistō
– Carmen Lau is a community organizer for the UK Hong Kong diaspora and former District Councillor

East Turkestan
– Jewer Ilham is an author, advocate, and daughter of detained scholar Ilham Tothi.
– Concentration camp survivors have been fearlessly providing witness testimonies of their harrowing experiences with sexual violence.
– Rushan Abbas is a dedicated activist who founded Campaign for Uyghurs, a nonprofit that was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.
– Zumretay Arkin has played a pivotal role for Uyghur women and refugees, serving as the Chair of the Women’s Committee in the World Uyghur Congress.
– Maya Mitalipova is a community organizer in Boston and the President of the Boston Uyghur Association.