Gender and Sexuality Studies

Abstract

Queering Approach to Social Egg Freezing by Chinese Single Women: Their Real Needs, Legal Barriers They Face, and Potential Negative Consequences: This dissertation employs queer theory to examine why Chinese single women should be granted the legal right to access social egg freezing. It investigates the current legal barriers they face in mainland China and the potential societal consequences. Through thematic analysis, academic legal analysis, and a case study, I argue to offer clear answers within related Chinese laws to enable single women to access social egg freezing, addressing their pressing needs and averting social inequalities such as stratified reproduction. This research underscores the importance of queering conventional reproduction and kinship and relevant laws in Chinese society. Analysis reveals that Chinese single women have a genuine and immediate interest in utilizing social egg freezing, driven by desires, such as for expanded choices and the possibility of having biological children without marriage. However, existing Chinese laws surrounding social egg freezing remain ambiguous, failing to definitively permit or deny access to single women. This legal ambiguity translates into practical legal barriers and potential for positive social changes. In practice, many financially capable Chinese single women seek social egg-freezing services abroad due to their unavailability in mainland China. Failure to queer existing laws could result in future social inequalities, such as a divide in reproductive options. Consequently, the study concludes that it is imperative to queer current Chinese laws to grant single women the legal right to access social egg freezing within mainland China, thus safeguarding against potential societal inequalities. However, this dissertation acknowledges the need for further research to comprehensively assess the extent of single women’s access to social egg freezing and consider additional factors, given the time constraints of this study.

Biography

Iris (Jingyun) Pi, B.S. in Economics, M.A. in Social Work, and M.A. in Gender Studies and Law, is a global citizen and gender specialist in sexual and reproductive health and rights, youth partnership, mental health, climate change, and sustainability. She has cross-cultural educational and professional experiences in the UK, Iceland, the Philippines, Eqypt, and the U.S. She used to work for the United Nations Population Fund as an Innovator in Mobile Health and co-founded Stories to Action. She published blogs such as “Chinese Female Health Worker’s Menstrual Hygiene Needs in COVID-19” and “From Victim to Victor: Survivor-centered Approach in Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict-related Settings” to amplify voices to significant but overlooked gender issues.