Gender and willingness to pay for environmental protection (WTP) have long been pivotal topics in environmental sociology. However, studies investigating the impact of gender on WTP have reported divergent findings between China and Western countries. To address this discrepancy, we introduce gender equality awareness as a mediating concept to explore the effect of gender on WTP. Our hypothesis proposes that gender equality awareness influences individuals’ attitudes toward WTP. This study utilizes data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) and applies multiple linear regression models to analyze the relationships among gender, gender equality awareness, and WTP. Furthermore, gender equality awareness is incorporated into the model as a mediating variable. The findings reveal that (1) women in China demonstrate significantly higher WTP than men; (2) greater gender equality awareness is positively correlated with stronger WTP; and (3) gender equality awareness partially mediates the relationship between gender and WTP. Notably, men tend to exhibit higher levels of gender equality awareness, which attenuates the positive effect of gender on WTP, thereby narrowing women’s advantage in this domain.