95-year-old Chinese astronomer’s gender equality speech gets over half-billion views in 2 days

A speech from China’s first female observatory director is making internet rounds for its message about gender equality.

Women empowerment: A video of 95-year-old Ye Shuhua’s speech received over 580 million views and over 61,000 threads in just two days on Sina Weibo, reigniting discourse about gender equality and the social responsibilities of women in China, reported the state-run Global Times.

Ye delivered her speech at the SHE Forum of the World Laureates Association in Shanghai on Nov. 2.
“If you want to get something, you have to fight for it. You must show your ability. You must work hard to keep your working position,” Ye said. “If we do better and try our best, then I think the woman’s position will become more and more equal or even higher.”
Ye’s speech encouraged women across China to push through in their industries and make their voices heard.
Discussions of women’s social responsibilities became a hot topic. Many netizens believed in women’s value and capabilities in the workplace, while others voiced that women’s most important role in society is to take care of their children.

About the academician: Ye, who was born in 1927 in Guangzhou, China, grew up during the time period of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

She became world-renowned for developing one of the world’s most accurate measurements of Universal Time along with her team of scientists at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory.
Ye also became a research professor at the observatory in 1976, where she served as the director between 1981 and 1993. She established very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) technology and a satellite laser ranging research station.
Ye also became the vice president of the International Astronomical Union from 1988 to 1994. She became a part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1980 and the Royal Astronomical Society of Britain in 1985.
The asteroid 3241 Yeshuhua was named after Ye by the Purple Mountain Observatory.

Featured Image via ShanghaiEye魔都眼

Share this Article