From China to South Korea to the US, Asian women in sports have become increasingly more visible, scoring Olympic medals and dominating international tournaments.  They not only serve as celebrities and role models, but also, like many athletic superstars, often double as a sort of diplomat, bridging international gaps through competitions in global arenas.

But in recent years, many Asian women athletes have used their platforms to shine a light on the injustices they face behind the scenes in their personal and professional lives, such as racism, harassment, and sexual assault.  What happens when a nation fails to protect its own icons, and how did we get to the point where these women have to use their status to seek justice?

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai took to social media on Nov. 2 to publicly accuse former Vice Premier of China Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. The post was quickly scrubbed from the internet. Those who posted about the matter were silenced and censored. And then, just as her words online, Peng seemed to vanish overnight.

As days turned into weeks, with no appearances from the tennis champion, public concerns mounted and turned into international demands. “Where is Peng Shuai?” became a rallying cry heard around the world. The question ignited headlines, trended online in the form of a hashtag, and sent the tennis world reeling.

Read the full article about Asian women in sports by Kate Nakamura at Global Citizen.