(Photo : Weibo)


A group of topless female students picketed in front of the Guangdong University of Technology to protest the sexual discrimination which they claim they had encountered in their search for jobs.



Bearing placards with anti-sexism slogans, the topless females began their protest at the Higher Education Mega Center in Guangzhou, according to the Yangcheng Evening News.



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The students painted the upper part of their bodies and wore sunglasses to hide their identities.



"Employers should get rid of sexual discrimination and put more weight on women's value. We need equal work opportunities," the protesters declared on their placards.



The photos of the protesting topless ladies, which were shared on Weibo, gained comments from more than 10,000 people.



Some Weibo microbloggers praised the ladies for their courageous act.



Others believe the women should not have gone topless to dramatize their grievances because the act was tantamount to lack of self respect.



Ms. Chen, the leader of the protesters, said that like other women who would graduate, she will have difficulty finding a job despite her good grades because of sexual discrimination.



Chen, who would be graduating in 2 months, said she had already sent out numerous resumés but neither she nor her classmates have received replies from prospective employers.



Chen pointed out that the top companies in Guangdong have rejected their applications citing that working hours are long and most jobs are more appropriate for men.



She said some property developers have visited her school and expressed that they are looking to employ male graduating students.



The setback led Chen to organize an alliance of female students, which has already gained 60 members from different schools since it was formed in December.



Female students from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and Sun Yat-sen University also joined the alliance to add their voice to the clamor for equality in job opportunities.



According to a report by WantChinaTimes, the female students alliance had conducted a survey of 1,000 respondents to determine the extent of sexual discrimination in their search for jobs.



The survey showed that 67.8 percent of the female respondents encountered sexual discrimination, while 43.6 percent said their job applications were rejected more than once.




TagsGuangdong University of Technology, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Sun Yat-sen University