Secret script an act of female independence

Covert women's writing method in underdeveloped county in Hunan province kept men out of the loop for centuries

For hundreds of years, Chinese women fought for the right to be heard as their voices were often neglected or silenced in male-dominated societies.

In Jiangyong, a remote, less-developed county in Hunan province, nvshu, a Chinese syllabic script exclusively for the use of women, was invented hundreds of years ago.

The world's only gender-based script, nvshu features a square-shaped font and slender strokes that form the shape of ants. In the past, nvshu messages were often written on pieces of paper, fans or handkerchiefs to secretly convey information to other women.

Traditionally, the social status of women in the county was low. They were required to stay at home, take care of the elderly and children and show obedience to their husbands. Social exchanges outside the family were rare, few women had the chance to attend school and many were illiterate.

"When they were not allowed to learn how to read and write, they invented a script of their own to record their thoughts and feelings in a written form. Such bravery and wisdom is remarkable," said Peng Zerun, a linguistics professor at Hunan Normal University in Changsha, Hunan.