Abstract: This study compares the difference of views on gender equality between America and China. Interestingly， the difference in opinions does not necessarily correspond to the difference in reality. China displays a much stronger sense of gender equality in labor division while America shows a stronger commitment to gender equality in rights. In our view， two countries have their own unique history and social conditions， which led to the two feminist movements with own different emphasis—China on economic independence and America on equal gender rights. Both the “independence” framework and the “right” framework helped shaping two diverse concepts of gender equality. With this understanding， the paper makes a further comparison on the different mobilization mechanism between the two feminist movements and its impact on gender equality. The micromobilization mechanism that worked well in influencing gender equality in America would not have the same effectiveness in China. This is because in China feminist ideology was sponsored and diffused through the state system in people’s everyday activities. Thus， the official interpretation of gender equality replaced individual initiatives. This is not the situation in America where feminist movements had the space to develop their more individualized views on gender equality.

Key words: gender egalitarianism , consensus mobilization,  feminist movement