Women stitch their voices

From hidden to celebrated, embroidered pads turn into bold statements, merging traditional craft with modern conversations on women's health.

At Beijing's Wangfujing Xiyue Shopping Center, the walls of an exhibition hall are adorned with beautifully embroidered sanitary pads. Once considered embarrassing, these everyday items now greet curious visitors with confidence.

The exhibition, titled "100% Women", ran from June 21 to Aug 20 and was curated by 27-year-old Wang Yiting. Through embroidery, painting, and educational materials, Wang has created a platform to amplify women's voices in one of Beijing's busiest commercial spaces.

"The exhibition features artwork inspired by female reproductive organs, particularly the uterus," Wang explained. "For too long, the uterus has been seen only as the 'cradle of life', with attention focused mainly on reproduction. But women also face challenges such as menstruation and gynecological diseases — issues rarely discussed openly due to stigma."

What started as a small booth at a comic exhibition in May 2024 has since evolved into a traveling showcase, with 10 stops across seven cities in China.

"Initially, the exhibitions were titled 'The Uterus Tour'," Wang recalled. "But when I promoted it online, social media platforms flagged the word 'uterus' as 'inappropriate', which limited our reach. So, I had to change the name."

Despite lingering prejudices, the exhibition has attracted widespread attention on Chinese social media, drawing over 8 million online viewers and more than 18,000 visitors, predominantly women aged 18 to 30.

Many have left messages on the exhibition's official Xiaohongshu (RedNote) account, asking for the show to come to their cities, and some have even offered free space to support future events.