More than a decade ago, she wrote, Mr. Chen lured her off campus and tried to have sex with her, despite her pleas that he stop. He denied the allegations, but the university fired him this month, saying he had harassed several students.

In her essay, Ms. Luo urged Chinese women to “stand up bravely and say ‘No!’ ”

Some have described her story as the “first step in the Long March” against sexual harassment in China. But Ms. Luo, who now lives in the United States, said the movement would need to be “mild and gentle” to avoid pushback from the government.

“Only in this way can the Chinese campaign against sexual harassment live on and develop,” she wrote in an email.

Activists say it will probably take decades to change public attitudes about harassment. At many companies, women are underpaid and relegated to menial roles. Men take co-workers as mistresses and openly remark on the appearance of female colleagues.

Fanny M. C. Cheung, a professor of psychology and vice president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said many women did not report harassment because Chinese culture had taught them to respect hierarchy. “People are not encouraged to speak up against superiors,” Professor Cheung said. “If you can’t change public attitudes, it’s very difficult to have a true endorsement of gender equality.”

Already, the Chinese government appears uncomfortable with the growing number of women who are going public with charges of abuse.