Latest news with #GengdanInstitute
News18
27-05-2025
- Health
- News18
'Take Off Your Pants': University Under Fire For Period Leave Policy
Last Updated: A Chinese student was asked to prove she was menstruating to get leave. The university defends the rule, but experts and the public call it invasive and discriminatory Students are often advised to avoid taking unnecessary leave, but certain personal health matters, such as menstruation, are generally accepted without scrutiny. However, a disturbing incident at a Chinese university has sparked widespread criticism on social media. A student at the Gengdan Institute, affiliated with Beijing University of Technology, was reportedly asked to remove her trousers and physically prove she was menstruating to be granted leave. The request, made on May 15 at the university's campus clinic, has since gone viral online. Shocking Request At Gengdan Institute In a video posted to social media, the student described being shocked and embarrassed when a clinic staff member asked her to undress to verify her condition. According to the South China Morning Post, she questioned whether this procedure applied to all women. A female staff member replied that it was indeed the rule and not a personal decision. When the student asked for a written copy of the rule, staff reportedly refused and advised her to visit a hospital instead. The university later confirmed the incident, stating that the examination was carried out with the student's consent and involved no medical tests or equipment. A staff member, Su, claimed the policy was meant to curb students who frequently request leave, citing menstrual issues. Public Backlash And Expert Opinion Despite the controversy, the student remains firm in her statement, asserting that she will remove her posts from social media if the university can provide written proof of the policy. First Published: May 27, 2025, 14:23 IST
New Straits Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
China student: Told to 'take off trousers' for period leave
KUALA LUMPUR: A video has gone viral in China, allegedly showing a college student being asked to remove her trousers to prove she was menstruating. According to the BBC, the student claimed she was told to do so in order to obtain a medical certificate for sick leave. The footage, which appears to have been recorded inside a university clinic, sparked outrage on Chinese social media platforms. Following the incident, the student's account on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, was suspended for 30 days, with her content flagged as "pornographic". The incident reportedly occurred at the Gengdan Institute in Beijing. In the video, the student asked: "Does every menstruating girl have to take off their trousers and show you before they can get a sick note?" The staff member responded: "Basically yes. This is a school rule." The clip quickly went viral, with many netizens criticising the exchange as degrading and a gross invasion of privacy. Chinese media confirmed that the video was filmed inside the Gengdan Institute's on-campus clinic. In a statement dated May 16, the college said staff had followed the protocol and initiated treatment after getting the student's permission. It added that no tools were used and no physical examination was conducted. The statement further claimed that online versions of the video had been distorted and warned that the school had the right to take legal action against those who maliciously spread untrue videos. However, in the video, the staff member does not respond when the student asks for written proof of the policy. The student is then advised to go to a hospital instead. Despite the video and the school's official response being taken down, snippets and screenshots continue to circulate online. The incident has drawn widespread backlash online, with many users calling the school's approach archaic and humiliating. A Gengdan staff member later told Dute News that the rule may have been implemented to prevent students from faking menstrual pain to obtain leave. However, the explanation did little to ease public anger. "If they're worried about students using their periods as an excuse several times a month, why not simply make a record of it? It's not that complicated," one Weibo user posted. State media also criticised the school's approach. "Menstruation is already an intimate topic for women. Rules like this will make students feel very uncomfortable, and even negatively impact students' psychological wellbeing," wrote China National Radio in an opinion piece. The backlash adds to growing criticism of Chinese universities for over-policing students' private lives. Last year, some institutions faced public ire for banning privacy curtains in dormitories, citing fire safety risks. Others introduced strict holiday travel rules, including bans on solo trips, road trips, and cycling, which many saw as an overreach. On Xiaohongshu, a user claiming to be a Gengdan student shared her experience at the university. "The school's clinic deserves all the criticism it's getting. "I heard from some older students that this kind of thing has been going on for a while. Some girls spoke up before, but nothing was done. "I'm glad it made the trending topics this time. People didn't stay silent," the user said.
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First Post
26-05-2025
- Health
- First Post
Chinese college asks student asked to take off trousers to prove she's on period for Sick Leave
The incident was recorded on video, which circulated widely on Chinese social media before being taken down. In the clip, a young woman is heard asking a staff member: 'Does every menstruating girl have to take off their trousers and show you before they can get a sick note?' read more A college student was asked by her institute to remove her trousers so they could verify she is menstruating before granting her sick leave. Image courtesy: Pixabay A college in the Chinese capital is facing widespread criticism and online outrage after a video emerged showing a student allegedly being asked to prove she was menstruating in order to receive sick leave. The incident reportedly took place at the Gengdan Institute of Beijing University of Technology. In the video, which circulated widely on Chinese social media before being taken down, a young woman is heard asking a staff member: 'Does every menstruating girl have to take off their trousers and show you before they can get a sick note?' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Basically yes,' the woman responds, according to a BBC report. 'This is a school rule.' Chinese state and local media identified the location as the school's on-campus clinic. The Gengdan Institute issued a statement on May 16 defending the staff member's actions and stating that 'protocol was followed.' The college also warned that it reserves the right to take legal action against those who 'maliciously spread untrue videos.' However, the statement and the video have since been removed from most platforms. Despite this, screenshots and clips continue to circulate online, fueling intense backlash and accusations of privacy violations. A user claiming to be the student said her Douyin account, China's version of TikTok, was suspended for 30 days for 'pornographic content' after she uploaded the video. In the video, the staff member declined to provide written proof of the regulation and eventually advised the student to seek help at a hospital instead. Local outlet Dute News quoted a Gengdan staff member saying the rule may have been introduced to discourage students from faking menstrual pain to obtain sick leave. That explanation was met with skepticism and criticism online. 'If they're worried about students abusing the policy, why not just keep a record? It's not that complicated,' one user wrote on Weibo. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Another user sarcastically suggested, 'Let's just take the sanitary pad out and paste it on the sick note.' China National Radio, a state-affiliated outlet, also weighed in with an editorial criticising the policy. 'Menstruation is already an intimate topic for women,' it said. 'Rules like this will make students feel very uncomfortable, and even negatively impact students' psychological wellbeing.' The Gengdan Institute now joins a growing list of Chinese universities under fire for overly strict or intrusive regulations. Last year, several schools were criticized for banning privacy curtains on dormitory beds, citing fire hazards. Others issued restrictive travel guidelines during the May Day holiday, barring solo or road trips, prompting criticism of administrative overreach into students' personal lives. On Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social platform, a user claiming to be a Gengdan student said the clinic 'deserves all the criticism it's getting' and alleged that similar incidents had occurred in the past without any corrective action. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I'm glad it made the trending topics this time,' the user wrote. 'People didn't stay silent.'
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
College in China sparks outrage over alleged rule requiring students to prove menstruation for sick leave
A Beijing college is facing public outrage after a staff member allegedly told a student that she would need to take off her trousers to prove she was menstruating in order to get sick leave. Gengdan Institute University College has defended its staff saying protocol was followed but also claimed that the viral video purportedly showing the incident was 'distorted'. In a subsequent statement, the college said it would take legal action against anyone who 'maliciously spread untrue videos'. The video, filmed inside what appears to be a campus clinic at Gengdan Institute, was posted to social media in mid-May and it quickly sparked outrage, the BBC reported. In the clip, a visibly frustrated student is heard asking a staff member: 'Does every menstruating girl have to take off their trousers and show you before they can get a sick note?' 'Basically yes,' the staffer replies. 'This is a school rule.' Chinese media confirmed Gengdan Institute's clinic as the location of the alleged incident. The college issued a statement on 16 May asserting that its staff had 'followed protocol' during the interaction. 'They inquired about the student's physical condition and, after obtaining her consent, proceeded with further diagnosis. No instruments or physical examinations were used,' the university said, according to the South China Morning Post. However, social media backlash against the college has been fierce, calling the rule an invasion of privacy and an example of excessive control over the lives of students. A staff member at the clinic, identified by only the surname Xu, told CNR News the policy was mainly aimed at curbing repeated misuse of sick leave. 'To my knowledge, the rule was introduced because some students repeatedly claimed to be on their period to request sick leave,' the staffer reportedly said. 'One girl even asked for leave four or five times in a single month. So the school had its reasons for enforcing this policy.' The student's video and the school's statement have both been removed from Chinese social media platforms, but clips and screenshots are still circulating online. In its statement, Gengdan Institute claimed the footage was 'distorted' and warned of legal action against anyone spreading false information. The viral video shows the student questioning the rule itself, the BBC reported. She asks for written proof that the school requires students to prove they are menstruating to get a sick leave. The staff member does not answer her question and instead tells her to go to hospital. The student later shared another video saying she had gone to a hospital and received the necessary documentation. She called for a 'reasonable and respectful' policy for period leave. 'I am simply asking for a reasonable and respectful policy on how women can request leave during their period,' she said, according to the SCMP. 'If the school truly has a written rule requiring female students to show menstrual blood to a female doctor in order to qualify for sick leave, I will delete my video. But if no such rule exists, I will not back down.' On Chinese social media, the backlash against the Beijing college has been unrelenting. One Weibo user wrote: 'If they're worried about students using their periods as an excuse several times a month, why not simply make a record of it? It's not that complicated.' The BBC reported that a user on social media site Xiaohongshu claiming to be a student at Gengdan Institute said 'the school's clinic deserves all the criticism it's getting'. 'I heard from some older students that this kind of thing has been going on for a while. Some girls spoke up before, but nothing was done,' the user wrote. 'I'm glad it made the trending topics this time. People didn't stay silent.'
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
‘School rule': Chinese student made to ‘take off trousers' to ‘prove' she was menstruating
A college of Beijing University in China has sparked widespread outrage after a viral video appeared to show a student being asked to asked to pull down her pants to 'prove' she was menstruating in order to obtain sick leave. The video, filmed in what looks like a clinic, shows a young woman confronting an older staff member: 'Does every menstruating girl have to take off their trousers and show you before they can get a sick note?' 'Basically yes,' the older woman responds. 'This is a school rule.' In the video, when the student asked for written proof of the rule, the staff member didn't respond — and instead directed her to go to a hospital. According to a report by South China Morning Post, Gengdan Institute university college later said in a statement that staff had 'followed protocol.' However, social media users have condemned the interaction as a severe invasion of privacy. Neither the student nor the school responded to media requests for comment. Though the original video and school's statement appear to have been taken down, screenshots and clips continue to circulate online, including via Chinese state media. A user on Douyin — China's TikTok — claiming to be the student said her account was suspended for 30 days for posting 'pornographic content.' Gengdan Institute, in a 16 May statement, claimed the videos had been 'distorted' and warned of legal action against those who 'maliciously spread untrue videos.' It added that the clinic staff followed procedures and 'initiated clinical work after getting the student's permission,' while denying the use of physical exams or tools. The Gengdan Institute is a private undergraduate college affiliated with Beijing University of Technology, one of China's top public universities. A staff member told Dute News that the policy was aimed at preventing students from faking menstrual pain to get sick notes BBC reported. But the explanation hasn't gone over well. 'If they're worried about students using their periods as an excuse several times a month, why not simply make a record of it? It's not that complicated,' said one user on Weibo. 'Menstruation is already an intimate topic for women. Rules like this will make students feel very uncomfortable, and even negatively impact students' psychological wellbeing,' said China National Radio in an op-ed. Gengdan Institute now finds itself among several universities in China that have come under scrutiny for heavy-handed rules. Last year, some were criticised for banning bed curtains — used for privacy in shared dorms — citing fire hazards. Others issued strict travel restrictions during holidays, warning against solo or road trips.
