By Yuqing Wang, Class of 2025 & Yuting Zeng, Class of 2026

February 21, 2025, Professor Wenting Ji, Yuqing Wang and Yuting Zeng hosted a reading group sharing event centered on the theme of “female+pain,” guided by historian Dorothy Ko’s two monographs on  women in Chinese history: Cinderella’s Sisters and Teachers in the Inner Chambers. This session attracts more than fifteen participants, including students and faculty members.

The event began with Yuting distributing handouts to initiate our discussion, setting the stage for an engaging conversation. Participants first reflected on pain as a personal and historical experience, questioning whether it can serve as a voice when words fail. This led to a nuanced discussion on footbinding, moving beyond its traditional portrayal as a symbol of oppression to examine its complex roles in cultural identity, social status, and gendered expectations. Yuqing then shifted the discussion to women’s education in premodern China, highlighting its dual nature as both a privilege and a tool of control. Professor Ji provided valuable insights into the gendered limitations of learning, from home-based instruction to moral conditioning. Participants engaged in a debate on whether education fosters liberation or reinforces confinement, drawing connections to modern-day gender norms.

Our conversation expanded beyond historical analysis to address the multifaceted  forms of pain experienced by women, past and present. Topics ranged from menstrual pain and its associated social stigma to the systematic exclusion of women from intellectual spaces. Participants drew parallels between historical silences and modern struggles for visibility and voice, prompting a deeper reflection on the enduring impact of pain—whether physical, social, or intellectual—on women’s lives.

By the end of the session, participants left with a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding women’s pain, both in historical contexts and contemporary society. The discussion fostered a critical examination of how pain has been used to define, constrain, and sometimes empower women, highlighting its role in shaping gendered experiences over time. Through engaged dialogue, attendees reflected on the evolving significance of footbinding, education, and exclusion, drawing connections between past struggles and present-day realities. The event not only encouraged meaningful scholarly exchange but also inspired participants to continue exploring these themes in their own research and daily lives.