‘The Moon in the Mountains’: empowering rural adolescents through feminist pedagogy to challenge misogyny

This study explores how misogyny shapes rural adolescents’ gender subjectivities and how feminist pedagogy can empower them to resist these challenges. We localized general feminist pedagogical principles in a rural middle school in China, designing six sessions that included listening and documenting local women’s stories, engaging in creative expression and producing a booklet. Findings reveal that misogynistic narratives exacerbate gender inequities, leading male students to internalize discrimination while limiting female students’ personal and academic aspirations. Following the intervention, rural adolescents showed emerging awareness of critical reflection, affective solidarity with women, and a sense of agency for change. However, these shifts were fragile and uneven, highlighting the challenges of advancing feminist pedagogy in contexts where misogyny is entrenched. Overall, the study highlights the significance of centreing local voices in resource-limited rural contexts, offering a scalable framework for imagining more equitable and inclusive rural futures worldwide.