Elaine Shao

Elaine Shao organized a feminist club in Shanghai two years ago called “SheForShe.” Once a week, they would give classes to girls in smaller towns in the outskirts of Shanghai. Elaine got her first glimpse of gender inequality as a young child. “Growing up in China, the gender favoritism was very clear. One night, when I was very young, my grandmother told me a bedtime story of her responsibility as the oldest of seven sisters. After the story, I was curious why all her siblings were girls, so I asked her why. My grandmother said her mother wanted a son but never got one.” This short anecdote inspired Elaine to start an organization that would allow young feminists like herself to make change. When asked about where her passion for gender equality will take her at Webb, Elaine responded, “I heard upperclassmen are given a lot more freedom to choose courses that really spark our interest. I am most interested in taking Gender Studies!”