Challenging the stigma associated with single mothers in China

At THE age of 29 Gavin Ye decided that she wanted to become a mother, but not a wife. She travelled to America and Russia for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and gave birth to two daughters. Ms Ye—also known by her Chinese name, Ye Haiyang—now has more than 7.3m followers on Douyin (Chinese TikTok). She posts videos of life with her girls, interspersing occasional advertisements for her skincare company. She dresses in menswear and sports a crew cut. “The powerful aura of a man, the gentleness of a woman, the responsibility of a father, the greatness of a mother—you have it all,” wrote one admirer on Douyin.