First, the jade rabbit is an ordinary rabbit. Because she was valued by the immortal, she was given a favor specially, so that the rabbit could become a drug-maker in the Guanghan Palace and accompany Chang 'e day and night.
Then the Jade Rabbit here is the image of a woman. This jade rabbit was chosen by the great immortals because of its kindness.
There is also a saying that the Jade Rabbit is Chang 'e, which is said to be because Chang 'e couldn't stand human life, abandoned Hou Yi and stole the elixir that Hou Yi got from the Queen Mother.
Although Chang 'e ascended to heaven, everyone was ashamed of her behavior, so Chang 'e was punished by the jade emperor, who turned her into a rabbit essence and made her work in the Guanghan Palace day and night. As described in that ancient poem, Chang 'e should regret stealing the elixir, which is the image of Chang 'e becoming a rabbit in Guanghan Palace.
In this legend, the jade rabbit is the image of a woman, from Chang 'e to rabbit essence. So Chang 'e must be a woman.
There is also a saying that the Jade Rabbit was changed by Hou Yi. Because Hou Yi didn't want Chang 'e to be alone in the Guanghan Palace, she secretly became a jade rabbit, and spent endless years with Chang 'e in the Guanghan Palace, but Chang 'e didn't know that the jade rabbit was Hou Yi. After all, Chang 'e was punished in Guanghan Palace, and Hou Yi could not reveal his identity.
However, there is another saying that "Jade Rabbit" evolved from "Yu Tu". In Chu, Cuba, there is a people who worship God especially, and their gods there are all called "Yu Tu". This Yu Tu is the tiger view in Bachu area, because they also respect tigers, and Chang 'e is a fairy on the moon, so it is naturally called Yu Tu, which is the tiger god.
Later, with the passage of time, this Yu Tu has evolved into a Jade Rabbit, and generally speaking, Jade Rabbit is still a female image.