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The Conversation (2024-2-26): no presidential candidate in the recent election offered concrete plans for how to achieve gender equality in society ... candidates who chose women as their vice-presidential running mates appeared to do so as a political gesture aimed at attracting support from women, rather than displaying any real intent to advance gender equality in Taiwan.  Women issues were largely ignored.   theconversation.com/taiwan-election-2024-how-presidential-candidates-left-women-voters-unimpressed-223608

 

  Country Reports on Human Rights Practices  -  Taiwan , 2024-4-22  state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/taiwan/  :

n sexual assaults  NGOs and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police. Some abused women chose not to report incidents to police due to social pressure not to disgrace their families.

n discrimination  More than 60 percent of the respondents to a survey released in March by a media company on living conditions and expectations of Taiwanese women from 2020-2023 believed discrimination based on age, gender, race, and other factors, including bias against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community, still occurred in their workplaces. Approximately 94 percent of the women respondents specified that age differences with colleagues and prejudice towards single women were key factors adding to workplace discrimination. According to official statistics, the median monthly income for women in 2022 was 84.2 percent that of men. 

n sexual harassment  Reports related to technology-facilitated gender-based violence continued to rise, five times higher than the same period in 2022Sexual harassment was common. The Ministry reported a 17 percent increase over the previous year...  high-profile sexual harassment cases involving prominent politicians, cultural figures, and others.  Several high-ranking members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party resigned in connection with sexual harassment cases.

 

The Conversation (2023-12-21): (1) Young women in Taiwan tend to explain   their preference for pets over babies in terms of financial pressures, particularly the cost of housing.  marriage avoidance has become a marked phenomenon. (2) the problem is grounded in the Confucian cultural bedrock of the region. Family and society are rigidly patriarchal. Workplace organisation and wider societal structures are unfavourable to women. (3) Taiwanese live with an undercurrent of concern about the future of their country. If so,... a lack of security in geopolitical terms is informing decisions about whether or not to marry and have childrentheconversation.com/why-taiwans-falling-birth-rate-has-become-a-national-security-issue-219968

ABC Australia (2023-12-23): Taiwan's MeToo movement has put powerful men in the spotlight, but women are bearing the cost of speaking outTaiwan culture has historically dismissed victims and protected perpetrators.  In general, Taiwanese society tends to place blame on the victim when it comes to discussing sexual harassment or assault."msn.com/en-au/news/australia/taiwans-metoo-movement-has-put-powerful-men-in-the-spotlight-but-women-are-bearing-the-cost-of-speaking-out/ar-AA1lUQ9u  Kathleen Calderwood

MSN (2023-12-15): Taiwan's #MeToo movement is still unfolding Other than rousing a nationwide investigation and exposure of sexual harassment and assault crimes within Taiwanese politics, several celebrities have also been accused of sexual assault and harassment       msn.com/en-sg/entertainment/news/taiwan-s-metoo-movement-is-still-ongoing/ss-AA1lvRqR

Reuters (2023-8-2): Taiwan women freeze their eggs as 'insurance' in hopes of law change - it is only legal to use the eggs in a heterosexual marriage, which excludes unmarried women and same-sex married couples.   news.yahoo.com/taiwan-women-freeze-eggs-insurance-230444675.html

 

★ NDTV (India), 2023-11-16: Racism, Disinformation Cast Shadow On India-Taiwan Cooperation

 There was frenzy on social media about whether the safety of women in Taiwan would be endangered...what is often missed out is Taiwan's own crime rates. According to survey data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, one in five women in Taiwan report having been in abusive relationships. Statistics reveal that a case of abuse occurs, on average, every five minutes in Taiwan, with 322 cases reported per day. The multitude of crimes against women and children in Taiwan highlight its problems with misogyny...  The sad reality is that many women across the globe sorely lack equal status and this manifests in crimes against women, unequal pay, workplace harassment, unfair burden of work at the workplace and so on. India, Taiwan are no different.   (brief)

 

   US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2023-3-20 (state.gov/reports/2022-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/taiwan/):

 A rise in the number of reports of child sexual exploitation cases from 1,060 in 2018 to 1,879 in 2021. NGOs raised concerns about online sexual exploitation of children: they reported sex offenders increasingly used cell phones, web cameras, live streaming, apps, and other new technologies to deceive and coerce underage girls and boys into sexual activity. The NGOs called for increased prosecutions and heavier penalties. Reporting of child sexual exploitation online to the Ministry of Health and Welfare increased steadily in recent years
 Many survivors did not report rape for fear of social stigmatization, and NGOs and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police. Some abused women chose not to report incidents to police due to social pressure not to disgrace their families.  Number of cases of sexual harassment 41 percent increase over the previous year.

 

#MeToo in Taiwan Taiwan really support human rights?

New York Times, 2023-7-27: our society remains patriarchal and hierarchical. Under Confucian values, women obey their fathers and their brothers and eventually their husbands. People are expected to respect and yield to their elders and superiors — in short, the powers that be... In a collectivist culture like ours, the burden of being nice and preserving group harmony falls on those with less power and authority nytimes.com/2023/07/27/opinion/taiwan-women-metoo.html 

 

Reuters, 2023-7-28: Despite Taiwan's reputation as a progressive bastion in a conservative region - the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage...to confront a problem long shrouded in shame and silence.   victims of abuse often stay silent due to what experts say is a tradition of victim-blaming, cultural pressure, and unequal power relationships.   .reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/years-after-metoo-first-swept-world-taiwan-races-respond-2023-07-28/   Sarah Wu   

 

BBC, 2023-7-21: Much of the #MeToo focus is still on sexual harassment, and "large-scale exposure" of sexual assault is yet to happen, that can only happen with more resources legal and counselling support from the state.   the government must extend the statute of limitations for prosecuting sexual harassment cases, which is currently six months.   news.yahoo.com/metoo-charges-against-celebrities-shake-210949837.html   Grace Tsoi & Benny Lu

 

L.A. Times, 2023-7-26:  as #MeToo spread to Japan, South Korea and even mainland China, it failed to take root in Taiwan, despite the island's reputation for progressive attitudes on gender   news.yahoo.com/netflix-hit-facebook-flood-overdue-100051881.html   Stephanie Yang, David Shen

 

Bloomberg, 2023-7-13: "Our gender culture still hasn't caught up with the laws", said a DPP legislator , "Speaking up takes a lot of courage, because speaking up in this culture may lead to victim shaming." news.yahoo.com/taiwan-metoo-scandals-push-tsai-033310739.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall   Xiao Zibang and Betty Hou

 

NPR, 2023-7-3:  More than 100 accusations of sexual harassment and assault have rocked Taiwan... — showing the gap between laws meant to protect victims and their implementation.

 

AFP, 2023-7-7: Taiwan touts itself as one of the most progressive democracies in Asia, but the crescendoing wave of #MeToo cases shows gender inequality remains a deep-seated problem, rooted in a culture prone to victim-blaming.  "Sexual violence -- from domestic violence to sexual harassment -- is more common than people think news.yahoo.com/metoo-wave-sweeps-taiwan-long-041039148.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

 

New York Times, 2023-6-25: A torrent of sexual harassment accusations has prompted questions about the state of women’s rights on an island democracy ... entrenched sexism that leaves women vulnerable at work, and a culture that is quick to blame victims and cover up accusations against powerful men. nytimes.com/2023/06/25/world/asia/taiwan-harassment-metoo.html

 

Economist, 2023-6-22:  Taiwanese women who are abused convince themselves “that it’s no big deal”. A survey in 2021 found that 82% of women sexually harassed in the workplace did not make formal complaints.  Nearly half of those who kept quiet had “brushed it off as a joke”.  economist.com/culture/2023/06/22/a-tv-drama-about-taiwanese-politics-has-sparked-a-social-reckoning

 

CNN, 2023-6-10:  The fallout from the #MeToo revelations risks adding more uncertainty to the all-important presidential race. Taiwan, priding itself on gender equality, is facing its own reckoning over sexual harassment.   Most sexual harassment victims were told to "let it go" ... Such culture of self-sacrifice is deep rooted in Taiwan's political reality, where the "big picture" often comes above everything else.    edition.cnn.com/2023/06/10/asia/taiwan-metoo-netflix-wave-makers-intl-hnk/index.html
 

 The Guardian (UK), 2023-6-8: The belated #MeToo reckoning has exposed the deeply patriarchal norms that still govern Taiwanese society.  In 2021 Chen Chao-ju, a professor at National Taiwan University, noted that in Taiwan “#MeToo has become a symbol of anti-sexual violence activism, but it has yet to produce a crystallising effect and recharge the anti-sexual violence movement … victims in the dark and perpetrators enjoying impunity”. Prof Chen Mei-hua at National Sun Yat-sen University noted that while these accusations had played out in the court of public opinion, in formal legal proceedings they were unlikely to succeed. "... most women do not have any evidence or witnesses, It is almost impossible for victims to win the lawsuit.”.    theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/08/taiwan-ruling-party-rocked-sexual-harassment-claims-metoo AmyHawk

 

  Washington Post, 2023-6-7:  The #MeToo accusations have caused the DPP's favorability ratings to plummet just as Taiwan gears up for a tough election campaign. The ruling party risks losing to the nationalist Kuomintang.  people across Taiwan have now come forward with experiences of harassment by university professors, doctors, directors and baseball umpires. But the government has until now been slow to respond to reported cases of sexual harassment.  msn.com/en-us/news/world/hit-netflix-show-sparks-a-wave-of-metoo-allegations-in-taiwan/ar-AA1cefPH    Vic Chiang, Meaghan Tobin     Bloomberg, 2023-6-7: Taiwan president apologizes twice in week for #MeToo allegations.  Tsai Ing-wen: "We've also seen such cases are everywhere...",  harassment accusations against two of KMT lawmakers have also been in the news recently.

 

 Wall Street Journal, 2023-6-7: Sexual misconduct allegations roil Taiwan's U.S.-friendly ruling party wsj.com/articles/sexual-misconduct-allegations-roil-taiwans-u-s-friendly-ruling-party-5b0d8894 Joyu Wang  Wenxin Fan    (Axios, 2023-6-13: The sexual assault allegations could weaken its support, especially among younger voters who tend to care more about gender issues, per the Wall Street Journal)

 

 DW (Germany), 2023-6-13:  Taiwan's culture remains conservative, and chauvinism still exists in workplaces and politics. victims may be "judged" by the public for sharing details....they may not be treated justly, ...the existing mechanisms are inadequate, which prompts the victims to reveal their experiences online  dw.com/en/metoo-in-taiwan-exposes-a-hidden-culture-of-harassment/a-65903757  William Yang

 

 BBC (UK), 2023-6-15: There is no doubt a reckoning in motion, observers say, adding that it is a significant time in Taiwan for addressing gender and sexual abuse...Many are sceptical of promises for lasting change.  bbc.com/news/world-asia-65875474   Frances Mao and Benny Lu

 

 The China Project (New York based), 2023-6-8: Until now, Taiwan has not seen a #MeToo movement similar to that in the United States, Europe, or even China.  Victim blaming is still prevalent in Taiwanese society, discouraging victims from coming forward. 70% to 80% of respondents who said they had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace chose to remain silent.   thechinaproject.com/2023/06/08/taiwans-ruling-dpp-rocked-by-sexual-misconduct-allegations/  Jordyn Haime

 

 The Diplomat, 2023-6-14:  If both political parties in Taiwan see the issue solely as one to be seized for political ammunition, it is not likely that talk of reform or changing entrenched social attitudes will go anywhere   thediplomat.com/2023/06/taiwan-rocked-by-wave-of-sexual-harassment-assault-allegations/   Brian Hioe


 SCMP, 2023-6-11:  
NTU prof.  Tso Chen-dong: the DPP has greatly disappointed the public as ... referring to the party's pledges to promote gender equality and human rights.  DPP had long focused on LGBTQ equality, rather than women's rights. scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3223609/wave-metoo-cases-threatens-engulf-taiwans-ruling-democratic-progressive-party   Lawance Chung
 

 The Diplomat, 2023-6-2:  a number of the young candidates that the DPP announced ... praised the realism and accuracy of “Wave Makers”  ─   entrenched sexual harassment and violence in Taiwanese politics  thediplomat.com/2023/06/taiwans-2024-election-campaigns-see-early-stumbles/   Brian Hioe
 

 

Taiwan's  #MeToo
sexual harassment and bully become norm, the ruling party really support for gender equality?  or for propaganda Taiwan's image ?
 

Bloomberg , 2023-6-2 : Taiwan's ruling DPP publicly bowed and apologized for the handling of a series of  #MeToo sexual harassment complaints in recent days bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-02/taiwan-s-dpp-apologizes-in-metoo-case-as-tsai-backs-probe#xj4y7vzkg   straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/taiwan-s-dpp-apologises-in-metoo-case-as-president-tsai-backs-probe
  TaiwanPlus News, 2023-6-5: msn.com/en-us/news/world/dpp-apologizes-again-for-mishandling-sexual-harassment-allegations-taiwanplus-news/vi-AA1c8frZ United Daily, editorial,  2023-6-5 : The image of DPP collapses udn.com/news/story/7338/7212608?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2
United Daily, editorial,  2023-6-4 : sexual harassment and bully become the ruling DPP's norm, high-ranking officials' burying the case becomes a tacit understanding inside the party, that's why #MeToo stories come again and again udn.com/news/story/7338/7211152?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate
China Times, editorial , 2023-6-3 : The immoral and corrupted DPP /   After taking office in 2016,  DPP soon indulged in black (Mofia gangs), gold (being rotten), and yellow (porn/womanizing).  "soaking" in such a bad environment for a long time, how can the DPP staffs have healthy sexual concepts and behaviors ? how can DPP high-ranking officials set a good example for their subordinate?  (上梁歪下梁不正) chinatimes.com/opinion/20230602004779-262101?chdtv
United Daily, editorial, 2023-6-1 : Holding high the banner of Modern women, DPPs actually are outdated Chauvinisme, and are accomplices of patriarchy.  Facing the incident of sexual harassment, the DPP has no empathy, but indifference; no professionalism, but suppression. udn.com/news/story/11091/7206111?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub11091_pulldownmenu_v2  A series of structural problems of sexual harassment highlights that "chauvinism is the DNA of the DPP,  such as the DPP recruiting 李正皓 who is suspected of sneaking photo controversy to run for the law maker campaign, former Minister of Health and Welfare 陳時中 having his dirty hand on a married woman , the DPP's married legislator 王定宇 having an affair,  丁允恭, the former spokesman of the Presidential Office having a sexual harassment incident, DPP legislator 高嘉瑜's domestic violence incident, the director of the DPP's women's department burying a sexual harassment case , etc.  ...... udn.com/news/story/11091/7205177?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub11091_pulldownmenu_v2
China Times, editorial, 2023-6-4 : #MeToo over and over again highlights the deepest issue  is DPP completely losing the ability for self-reflection, and failing to tell right from wrong, good from evil  chinatimes.com/opinion/20230603002631-262101?chdtv
 

 

DW (Germany) , 2022-11-24 :  this weekend's local elections feature the highest number of female candidates in 30 years. women account for around 35% of the candidates on the ballot in this year's local elections"The glass ceiling for women has gradually been broken."In the 2020 parliamentary election, a total of 47 female candidates, more than 40% of the total, were elected, making Taiwan the country with the highest percentage of female lawmakers in Asia. But Women in politics still face obstacles  ─  the media focusing more on a female candidate's appearance 、Female politicians also face sexual harassment、strike a difficult balance between being a mother and being a politician...  msn.com/en-za/news/other/taiwan-elections-put-record-number-of-women-on-ballot/ar-AA14whwJ

 

US  Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , 2022-4-12 :
state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/taiwan/

n43.3 percent of employees were dissatisfied with gender equality practices in hiring and in the workplace, including in promotion policies and the division of work. According to official statistics, the median monthly income for women in 2019 was on average 87.7 percent of the amount their male counterparts earned.  Reports of workplace sexual harassment increased in recent years. According to the Modern Women’s Foundation, workplace sexual harassment accounted for 54 percent of all sexual harassment cases in 2020, a substantial increase from the 17 percent accounted for by workplace sexual harassment in 2017
nMany rape victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and NGOs and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police. Some abused women chose not to report incidents to police due to social pressure not to disgrace their families.
nSince the 2020 elections, a record 42 percent of national legislators were women, an increase from 38 percent in 2016.

 

DW (Germany) , 2022-11-24 :  this weekend's local elections feature the highest number of female candidates in 30 years. women account for around 35% of the candidates on the ballot in this year's local elections"The glass ceiling for women has gradually been broken."In the 2020 parliamentary election, a total of 47 female candidates, more than 40% of the total, were elected, making Taiwan the country with the highest percentage of female lawmakers in Asia. But Women in politics still face obstacles  ─  the media focusing more on a female candidate's appearance 、Female politicians also face sexual harassment、strike a difficult balance between being a mother and being a politician...  msn.com/en-za/news/other/taiwan-elections-put-record-number-of-women-on-ballot/ar-AA14whwJ

 

International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 2021 Global State of Democracy

(idea.int/gsod/sites/default/files/2021-11/spotlight-on-taiwan-gsod2021.pdf)
SPOTLIGHT ON TAIWAN

Taiwan has registered a growth in domestic violence. One report from April 2020, for example, noted that, while national statistics were yet to be released, local media were indicating that overall numbers were up by 29 per cent for March alone.

 

★  CIA , The World Fact Book (cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/total-fertility-rate/country-comparison), Japan Times, 2021-4-21: CIA estimates Taiwan's "Fertility Rate" in 2021 to be world's lowest.  Taiwan ranks No. 227, probably caused by many house-wives being busy in work as well as in household duties, according to Liberty Times 2021-4-20.  Japan ranks 218,  China 185, Singapore 225.   United Daily》, 2021-6-17:  udn.com/news/story/7340/5537697?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2  Medical expert 楊志良 project found out:  under the circumstances of low salary and high housing price, more men are not willing to get married, it will be less and less marriages and children to born。

 

★ Brookings, 2021-6-25, brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/06/25/taiwans-vitality/   Despite the well-deserved praise for legalizing same-sex marriage, Taiwan has stalled when it comes to expanding options for family building by LGBT couples and single women. The Tsai administration has failed to push for adoption-friendly policies and expanded access to assisted reproductive technologies.

 

US  Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , 2021-3-30 :  state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/taiwan/

Following January 11 elections, a record 42 percent of lawmakers were women, an increase from 38 percent in 2016, although less than 3 percent of the cabinet were women. Six seats are reserved in the legislature for representatives chosen by Taiwan’s indigenous people.   Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and NGOs and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police. Some abused women chose not to report incidents to police due to social pressure not to disgrace their families.  The law requires all cities and counties to establish violence prevention and control centers to address domestic and sexual violence, child abuse, and elder abuse. Incidents of sexual harassment were reportedly on the rise in public spaces, schools, the legislature, and in government agencies.  Overseas spouses were reportedly targets of social discrimination or abuse outside and, at times, inside the home. 

Activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) rights said due to victims’ reluctance to lodge formal complaints, discrimination against LGBTI persons was more widespread than suggested by the number of court cases. Reported instances of violence against LGBTI individuals were rare, and police response was adequate. 


China Times, 2021-3-11, editorial:  The percentage of female member of the cabinet hits lowest, which triggered big controversy;  The percentage of working women between aged 25 and 34 of same group is 87.6%,which postpones average marriage age; Nearly 60% career females think severe discrimination still exists, 43% of them encountered harassment in their working place, and 87.3% of those cases was ignored by their company.  The wage difference has only improved little.  ( 兩性薪資差異曾連續3年未曾改善,上任5年來也僅進步了3天)  chinatimes.com/opinion/20210310005190-262101?chdtv

CNA (中央社), Taiwan News, 2-23-2021: The official wage difference amounted to 14 percent, with women having to work 51 days more than men to receive the same salary, according to the Ministry of Labor (MOL). https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4134184

 

★  CIA , The World Fact Book (cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/total-fertility-rate/country-comparison), Japan Times, 2021-4-21: CIA estimates Taiwan's "Fertility Rate" in 2021 to be world's lowest.  Taiwan ranks No. 227, probably caused by many house-wives being busy in work as well as in household duties, according to Liberty Times 2021-4-20.  Japan ranks 218,  China 185, Singapore 225.   United Daily》, 2021-6-17:  udn.com/news/story/7340/5537697?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2  Medical expert 楊志良 project found out:  under the circumstances of low salary and high housing price, more men are not willing to get married, it will be less and less marriages and children to born。

 

NBC, Associated Press, 10-30-2020: Taiwan is the only place in Asia to have legalized same-sex marriage, since the legislation passed in May 2019  more than 4,000 such couples have married, with 69 percent of them lesbian couples, according to the most recent government data.  DW (Germany), 10-31-2020: One restriction is that a foreign partner must come from a country with gay law. And, on same-sex parenting, Taiwanese remains divided.   France 24, 10-31-2020: the issue has caused deep divisions on the island, especially among conservative religious groups and older generations.  Taiwan's gay marriage law still contains restrictions not faced by heterosexual couples, including on adoption and foreign marriages.   United Daily, 11-1-2020: DPP: Taiwan still has a distance to equal-rights.

US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-11-2020 : In the new legislature, a record 38 percent of lawmakers were women.    In the November 2018 local elections, voters elected women to seven of the 22 mayoral and county magistrate seats.   The number of women elected to local councils also continued to grow: women won 307 of the 912 city and county council seats–an increase from 30.7 percent in 2014 to 33.8 percent in 2018.  Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police. Some abused women chose not to report incidents to police due to social pressure not to disgrace their families.

★  US  state government - 2020 Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2020:  traffickers subject local men and women to forced labor and local women and children to sex trafficking. Taiwan women and children are subjected to domestic sex trafficking, including as part of an increasing trend in which traffickers induce and exploit Taiwan and foreign women’s and children’s drug addictions. Taiwan traffickers increasingly use the internet, smartphone apps, livestreaming, and other such online technologies to conduct recruitment activities, often targeting child victims, and to mask their identities from law enforcement. Taiwan traffickers also exploit persons with disabilities in sex trafficking. Traffickers lure women from China and Southeast Asian countries to  Taiwan through fraudulent marriages and deceptive employment offers for purposes of sex trafficking.

ABC Radio National, Australia, 2- 27-2020: 42 per cent of Taiwan's legislators (law makers) are women;  it's the only Asian nation to have legislated same-sex marriage.

 

US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 pointed out that Victims of rape and domestic violence did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various nongovernmental organization (NGO) and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police.   Some abused women chose not to report incidents to police due to social pressure not to disgrace their families.  US  state government - 2019 Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2019 :  in the last five years, human traffickers subject foreign men and women to forced labor and sex trafficking in Taiwan...  <The United Daily >,  3-16-2018: Taiwan's gender equality - A long long way to go !  Taiwan passed (United Nations already passed 30+ years ago at 1979) the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) , valid from Jan. 1, 2012, but, Taiwan's women rights status is still similar according to the US report released in 2013 ~ 2018, In 2015, the number of reporting for rape or sexual assault  is only 850 less than that in previous year.     The Gov. study showed (3-2-2019) the number of  Domestic Violence in 2018 is 138637, which increases about 1% compared to previous year. 

(12. 25. '14) reported that those Taiwanese male aged above 20 (2.33 million men per yr. ) The annual value of production of Taiwan's sex industry's is at least USD 200 million. Prostitution is violence against women / ref to <Prostitution : violence with no name>, "Prostitution et Societe", 2010, "Int'l Day for the Elimination of Violence against women", 11-25-2016 France.   Taiwan government is the main criminal to harm women's rights in large scale.    Liberty Times (4-21-2018) : Taiwan's  "Me Too" movement has not begun yet ...

★  US  state government - 2019 Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2019

As reported in the last five years, human traffickers subject foreign men and women to forced labor and sex trafficking in Taiwan, and traffickers subject local men and women to forced labor and local women and children to sex trafficking. Taiwan women and children are subjected to domestic sex trafficking, including as part of an increasing trend in which traffickers induce and take advantage of Taiwan and foreign women’s and children’s drug addictions to subject them to sex trafficking. Taiwan traffickers increasingly use the internet, smartphone apps, livestreaming, and other such online technologies to conduct recruitment activities, often targeting child victims, and to mask their identities from law enforcement.

Traffickers lure women from China and Southeast Asian countries to Taiwan through fraudulent marriages and deceptive employment offers for purposes of sex trafficking. Many trafficking victims are migrant workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and to a lesser extent, individuals from China, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka.

Some traffickers use Indonesian-owned stores in Taiwan as illegal remittance channels, confining Indonesian workers and subjecting them to sex trafficking. Traffickers reportedly take advantage of Taiwan’s “New Southbound Policy” visa-simplification program to lure Southeast Asian students and tourists to Taiwan and subject them to forced labor and sex trafficking.

 

 

 <The United Daily >,  3-16-2018: Taiwan's gender equality - A long long way to go !    Taiwan passed (United Nations already passed 30+ years ago at 1979) the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) , valid from Jan. 1, 2012, but, Taiwan's women rights status is still similar according to the US report released in 2013 ~ 2018,  in 2015, the number of reporting for rape or sexual assault  is only 850 less than that in previous year.    US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 pointed out that Victims of rape and domestic violence did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various nongovernmental organization (NGO) and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police.   Some abused women chose not to report incidents to police due to social pressure not to disgrace their families.   The Gov. study showed (3-2-2019) the number of  Domestic Violence in 2018 is 138637, which increases about 1% compared to previous year.  Apple Daily reported at 3-2-2019 that gov. study showed the  those Taiwanese male aged above 20 (2.33 million men per yr. ) The annual value of production of Taiwan's sex industry's is at least USD 200 million.  Prostitution is violence against women / ref to <Prostitution : violence with no name>, "Prostitution et Societe", 2010, "Int'l Day for the Elimination of Violence against women", 11-25-2016 France.   Taiwan government is the main criminal to harm women's rights in large scale.  Liberty Times (4-21-2018) : Taiwan's  "Me Too" movement has not begun yet ...

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pic.: The websites group was ranked No.1
by "Taiwanese women rights" at 2021-6-17, 6-29-2019 on US Bing,  " women's rights in Taiwan"
on US Bing, 11-28-2018

 

 

 

pic.: The websites group was ranked top 2
by "Taiwanese women rights"
on Yahoo at 6-29-2019 and 7-9-2019 

 

 

 

pic. : The websites group was ranked No.2 by "Taiwan women rights"  on MetaGER of Europe, at 10-25-2019

 

 

 

pic.: The websites group was ranked No.1 " Taiwan women's rights"  on US Bing  at 6-29-2019

 

 

 

 

    

pic. left: The websites group was ranked No.2 by "Taiwanese women rights"  on Yandex of Russia, at 10-25-2019

pic. right: The websites group was ranked No.2 by "Taiwan women rights"   on Yandex of Russia,  at 10-25-2019

 

 

 

 

pic.: The websites group was ranked No.1
by "Taiwanese women rights" at 6-29-2019 on Yahoo Taiwan

 

 

 

 

pic. : The websites group was ranked No.2 by "Taiwan women rights"   on Yippy (IBM),  at 10-25-2019

 

 

 

 

pic.: The websites group was ranked top 2
by "Taiwan women rights"
on US Yahoo at  7-9-2019 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

<Apple Daily>, 3-2-2019 :  A survey by a famous hospital (高雄長庚) found 80% of Domestic Violence are female, avg. aged 40, near 70% of victimizers are spouse most are wounded by heavy striking head or face 1/3 brain contusion  ( 腦挫傷 )... The Governmental study showed  the number of  Domestic Violence in 2018 is 138637, which increases about 1% compared to previous year.  

BBC, 5-17-2019: Taiwan gay marriage: Parliament became the first in Asia to legalise same sex unions  United Daily <聯合報> editorial  5-18-2019: This "gender equality" should reminds us of so many discriminations everywhere in Taiwan - including gender discrimination, occupational discrimination, classism, etc ...  <Apple Daily>, 2-22-2019: Taiwan Executive Yuan passed a 'special law' to protect same-sex marriage. 

 

TIME, 11-24-2018 (http://time.com/5462767/taiwan-same-sex-marriage-referendum/)

       Taiwan Votes Against Same-Sex Marriage in Referendum  

        Amnesty International told the government it needs to “deliver equality and dignity.”

       “This result is a bitter blow and a step backwards for human rights in Taiwan,” ...

The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , released at 4-20-2018

        Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalizes rape, including spousal rape, and domestic violence. Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various NGO and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police.
women work: Women were promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions, and worked for lower pay than men, earning on average 83 percent of their male counterparts’ income in 2015... a survey in 2016 showed 3.5 percent of women have been sexually harassed at work, yet 80 percent of these cases went unreported.

★  <The United Daily 聯合報>,  3-16-2018 (prime news edition)

         Taiwan president Tsai I. W. : Taiwan still have a not short way to reach gender equality (台灣離性別平等  還有一段路要走)
         <The United Daily 聯合報>,  3-16-2018 (林志潔, professor and member of national judicial reform committee)
          The judge made mistakes again and again,
 Taiwan's gender equality
- A long long way to go !

★  <華視新聞> (CTS news, Taiwan),  5-25-2018
         Female victims being raped in Taiwan are always worried their life balance will be ruined  ...  the social environment or the overall situation is unfriendly,  all people around stop victims' voices,   "loose lips" might hurt victims even more.
         Taiwanese are facing cultural restrictions and challenges, still hard to have positive influence on this issue.

         Taiwanese society needs to give more supports and empathy so that those victims will no longer be silence thus can fight for justice by themselves.

<自由時報> (The Liberty Times) , 4-21-2018  10:58
       
Taiwan's first time!more than 1000 participated in 「#Me Too」parade.
        Taiwan's  "Me Too" movement actually has not begun yet,  such as
those rape or harassment cases by gym. coach  and legislator senior assistant (現任閣員、立院資深助理) are just under investigations, or even victims' name has not gone public ......

The China Times <中國時報> 3-8-2018: according to investigation/survey, 80% female physicians met sexual harassment, ... a female physician of Cathy Hospital had different views and said the percentage of harassment to nurse probably higher because they are young and in lower status  (8成女醫曾遭性騷擾, 女醫反應兩極 ... brief)

 <Apple Daily>, 4-3-2018: According to a survey by Taiwanese government, 180 thousands of career women suffered sexual harassment, only 40-50 thousands reported to their company, others chose to keep silence... <蘋果日報> 4-7-2018: The number of sexual harassment on campus reported is up to 1400 per year.

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pic.: The websites group was ranked No.1 by "Taiwanese women rights" at 6-30-2019, No.1 " Taiwan women's rights" on US Bing, 11-28-2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pic.: The websites group was ranked No.1 by " Taiwan women's rights" on Yahoo (Taiwan), 11-28-2018

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pic.: The websites group was
ranked top 2
by "Taiwan women rights" at 6-30-2019,  " women's rights in Taiwan"
on US Bing, 11-28-2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , released at 3-3-2017

       Women: Rape and Domestic Violence:  spousal rape, and domestic violence. Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various nongovernmental organization (NGO) and academic studies estimated that the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police.  Women were promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions, and worked for lower pay than men, earning on average 83 percent of their male counterparts’ income...

 WEF <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 4-6-2017)

        Taiwan's "Female participation in the labor force" ranks world no. 85.

The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , released at 4-13-2016

The law criminalizes rape, including spousal rape, and domestic violence. Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various nongovernmental organization (NGO) and academic studies estimated that the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police.

Women were promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions, and worked for lower pay than their male counterparts. Household caregivers and domestic workers did not enjoy the same legal protections as other workers.

Women’s groups reported that judicial authorities were sometimes dismissive of sexual harassment complaints. According to the Ministry of Labor’s latest survey on this subject in 2013, an estimated 4.2 percent of women encountered sexual harassment in the workplace, with most victims ages 15 to 34. A poll conducted by the Awakening Foundation in May found that 50 percent of the women surveyed faced censure when they informed their employers of their pregnancy, 49 percent were assigned to a different job or department, and 15 percent were asked to resign.

★  <The United Daily 聯合報>,  2-25-2017
      
Taiwanese female employee need to work 52 days more to earn the amount of male employee's anneal salary...  


 


This webpage was ranked No. 2 on  Google,
 by keywords :  "women rights in Taiwan", or "women's rights in Taiwan" or "Taiwanese women rights",
  test at  5-26-2017.

 

 

★ USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  6.26.2015

... as of July there were 7,175 reports filed for rape or sexual assault. As of November courts indicted 810 persons and convicted 638 persons ... Because survivors were socially stigmatized, many did not report the crime, and various NGO and academic studies estimated that the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police... the average prosecution rate for rape and sexual assault over the past five years was approximately 45 percent, ...The Ministry of Labor estimated that 4.2 percent of women encountered sexual harassment in the workplace, with most victims ages 15 to 34....

Women’s advocates noted that women continued to be promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions, and worked for lower pay than did their male counterparts. According to the Ministry of Labor, in 2013 women comprised 44.1 percent of the workforce and their salary on average was 83.9 percent of the average salary for men performing comparable jobs... the ratio of boy-to-girl births was 107 to 100, the lowest in 25 years.


★ 
Amnesty International (The London-based organization), 2.25.2015

The organization concerns Taiwan's gender discrimination.  In terms of gender discrimination, the organization called on Taiwan to respect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.  Taiwan’s passage of the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the enactment of laws to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by 2017 were important starts, but still have to be fully implemented.
 ps: (1)
 Anti-adultery law only exits in Taiwan, N. Korea, and Muslim (Islam) few countriesKorea - Yonghap, South Korean news agency,  2-26-2015, Taiwan - United Daily, Liberty Times, 2-27-2015.
       (2)
 Taiwanese female's hourly rate of pay is only 85.05% of male's, which means Taiwanese career women need to work additional 55 days per year to get pay equal to men's. / CTS news, Liberty Times, Taiwan, 2-27-2015.


★  <The United Daily>,  <China Post>, 3-3-2016

The first large-scale survey convened by the government found One out of four Taiwanese women have been victims of partner abuse in the past, according to a study, based on methods used by the United Nations, the European Union and the World Health Organization.

more than 26 percent of women said they had experience at the receiving end of abuse from an intimate partner, among whom psychological abuse accounted for 21 percent. Approximately 9.8 percent of respondents said they had suffered from physical violence, 9.6 percent from economic abuse, 7.2 percent from sexual violence, while 5.2 percent had been stalked and harassed by partners.


 

★  <Apple Daily 蘋果日報 6-11-2015     "Where is the justice with guts" /  陳宜倩 SHU vice professor

brief: Our fantasies about gender equality, Constitutional Democracy, ... were destroyed !

Every Taiwanese people, from the president down to ordinary civilians, spends every efforts on pretending that Taiwan is a Regime of Constitutional Democracy as well as a legal state, and being proud of its rising sense of gender equality, it's really too hard for us do the phony,  eventually, the Council of Grand Justices No. 728 destroys our fantasies, most astonishing, the justice stated it's impossible for today's Taiwan to give up androcentric ancestral inheriting system (揚棄以男性為中心的宗祧繼承規範在今日台灣是不可能的).

 



ranking Google No.2 by keywords in English, "women's rights in Taiwan" or
"Taiwanese women rights" etc,  at May 20, 2017, Jan. 27, 2015, No.2 at Aug. 29,
2014, Dec. 4, 2012, Oct. 10, 2011, Nov. 3, 2010


 


★ 
USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2.27.2014

Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalizes rape, including spousal rape, and domestic violence. Because victims were socially stigmatized, many did not report the crime, and the Ministry of Interior estimated that the total number of sexual assaults was 10 times the number reported to police.

The law provides protection for rape victims. Rape trials are not open to the public unless the victim consents. The law permits a charge of rape without requiring the victim to press charges.

The law establishes the punishment for rape as not less than five years’ imprisonment, and courts usually gave those convicted prison sentences of five to 10 years. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of July there were 8,029 reports filed for rape or sexual assault. As of July, courts indicted 1,282 persons and convicted 1,297 persons. According to the Ministry of Justice, the average prosecution rate for rape and sexual assault over the past five years was approximately 50 percent, and the average conviction rate of cases prosecuted was approximately 90 percent.

As of September, authorities prosecuted 1,921 persons for domestic violence and convicted 1,595 persons. Typically, courts sentenced persons convicted in domestic violence cases to less than six months in prison. Social pressure not to disgrace their families discouraged abused women from reporting incidents to the police. The law allows prosecutors to take the initiative in investigating complaints of domestic violence, without waiting for a spouse to file a formal lawsuit.

The law requires all cities and counties to establish violence prevention and control centers to address domestic and sexual violence, child abuse, and elder abuse. These centers provided victims with protection, medical treatment, emergency assistance, shelter, legal counseling, education, and training on a 24-hour basis. The Health and Welfare Ministry, newly established in July, will be responsible for combating and addressing rape and domestic violence.

Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment in the workplace is a crime punishable by fines of NT$100,000 to NT$1 million ($3,400 to $34,000) and imprisonment for up to two years. All public employers and larger private employers are required to enact preventive measures and establish complaint procedures to deter sexual harassment. Women’s groups complained that, despite the law and increased awareness of the issue, judicial authorities remained dismissive of sexual harassment complaints.

Discrimination: The law prohibits discrimination based on gender. The law provides for equal treatment with regard to salaries, promotions, and assignments. The law entitles women to request up to two years of unpaid maternity leave and forbids termination of employment because of pregnancy or marriage. Central and local agencies, schools, and other organizations are required to develop enforcement rules and set up gender equality committees to oversee the implementation of the law. One NGO claimed that the authorities were not doing enough to raise public awareness of this issue.

Women’s advocates noted that women continued to be promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions, and worked for lower pay than did their male counterparts. Women made up 44 percent of the workforce. According to the Council for Labor Affairs (CLA), salaries for women averaged 82 percent of those for men performing comparable jobs.


<the Liberty Times>
, Mar. 8, 2015  According to statistics, more male Taiwanese have extramarital affairs, but more female Taiwanese were sentenced to certain time in prison, etc, the key point is Taiwan's public perception is biased against women having affairs ...


★ 
USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  April 19, 2013

     ★One of the principal serious human rights problems in Taiwan was rape including spousal rape, and domestic violence.  “Because victims were socially stigmatized, many did not report the crime, and the MOI estimated that the total number of sexual assaults was 10 times the number reported to police,”... (ps: US gov. definition:  "pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner".).

     ★There may also be a problem with sexual harassment in the workplace.... judicial authorities remained dismissive of sexual harassment complaints,” .

     ★The report said that child abuse also continued to be a widespread problem in Taiwan.

★ USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  May 24, 2012

Taiwan's Child abuse also continued to be a “widespread problem,” according to the report. It cited an NGO estimate of 20,000 cases per year of child sexual abuse.

In addition, the report said violence against women, such as rape and domestic violence, “remained a serious problem” in Taiwan. It said the Ministry of the Interior estimated that the actual number of sexual assault cases was 10 times more than what was reported to the police.

The report also said that foreign spouses in Taiwan face discrimination inside and outside of their homes. Forced labor was found in sectors such as caregiving, farming, fishing, manufacturing and construction...

★ 2011  USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, April 8, 2011

       Women's human rights problems in Taiwan :

      (1)  Violence against women, including rape and domestic violence, remained a "serious problem.
      (estimated that the total number of rape, spousal rape was 10 times the number reported to the police,
         - 6818 rape/sexual assaults were filed till Sept 2010,   till Nov. 2010, 91457 family violence, 22089 children abuse cases were filed. )

      (2)   judicial authorities remained “dismissive” of complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace.
      (3)  Child abuse continued to be a widespread problem.  sexual abuse was more prevalent than the public realized, with the estimated number of victims reaching approximately 20,000 annually, while only approximately 3,000 were reported.
      (4)  foreign-born spouses were targets of discrimination.


<Apple Daily>, Dec. 5, 2012
Acording to "2012 Taiwanese Human Rights index survey" (conducted by 中華人權協會), 24% Taiwanese think Taiwan's women human rights in retreat, 21.9% think it is in progress,17.9% Taiwanese think Taiwan's overall human rights in progress, 36% think it is in retreat, 76% Taiwanese don't satisfy Taiwan's economy human rights.
Taiwan's scholars worry that Taiwan's democracy doesn't work well ... 

<the Liberty Times>, Mar. 27, 2013

75% of women encountered sexual harassment in the workplace, with no complaint...

<Apple Daily>, 6.12Taiwan police station ignored a huge prostitution base nearby (大淫窟 - 金帝大廈)Apple Daily News (April 12, 2014) reported, massage girls in Taipei all do "prostate-care", "Lymphatic drainage", kind of actually sexual service  (會從事被稱為「攝護腺保養」、「淋巴排毒. 」等半套性服務). Wikipedia (2014): there are Thai massage places all over Taipei and most places you have a good chance to find 'extra services'.  <United Daily News> 7.27.2014: Taipei prostitution, no.1 is massage house, second, call girls controlled by broker, thirdly,  so-called one-woman brothel (「一樓一鳳」).   click to see Taiwan's porn trade .

★  CNA Central News Agency, Taiwan (<中央社> March 8, 2012

For this national Women's Day,  DPP legislative in a press conference lists Taiwan's 5 problems lead to Taiwanese women's unhappiness ―  reduced income, food (birds-flu chickens, Paylean beef, etc) may get illness, unequal pay for female ( salary 17.6% less for same work by the male), workplace not comfortable (  female victims accounted for 97.15% of all sexual harassment cases ) , difficult to get promotion ( women only 1/4 of high-end civil servants/officials  ).

<Liberty Times>,  March 7, 2013
Sexual discrimination?  ―  Taipei city government: no female in high-ranking decision-making position(決策層級), only 7 women in leading position in 1st level units(一級機關的女性首長), that were questioned the proportion is quite low... 

<United Daily News>,  March 7, 2013 
Career women's average salary is about NT40000, which is 80% of male's salary (only 70% in 20 years ago).

<South China Morning Post> Hong Kong, Nov 24, 2013

Taiwanese women embrace 'male' careers but gender gap remains

...Government statistics show that Taiwanese women earn on average about 18 per cent less than Taiwanese men.
“There is still a lot of room for improved gender equality in the workplace,” said Liu Chia-yi, chairwoman of the Taipei Association for the Promotion of Women’s Rights.
“The government and employers must enforce relevant regulations to ensure women’s working rights,”......


★  <Apple Daily News>, editorial ,  Sept. 23, 2011

"National Sexual Prison "(「國立性煉獄」) :  What a shame on Taiwanese government ! 
 So many sexual harassment crimes , and sexual assault cases in Taiwan, ......  far more than the number reported by media, we can say Taiwan has already became a society hostile to the female.  Shame on all Taiwanese, particularly, shame on Taiwanese government......
 ps: Taiwan prostitution & erotic massage (2014)

★  <TVBS> Taiwan, early morning TV news  2012/10/10  0:05

 
Taiwan government (education dept.)'s official dictionary on-line defines the very popular slang "single public-hazards"(「單身公害」) as single female seducing & having affair with married male, was criticized as "discrimination", because of not including single male "public-hazards".

★  2011 DPP opinion polls  <the Liberty Times>, Taiwan, May 8, 2011  ( Mother's Day )

   ◎ 54.9% female (age 20-49) : Taiwanese mother are not happy.

   ◎ details

    (1) Taiwanese mother "kind (bit) unhappy" : 34.5%
    (2)
"very unhappy": 20.4%
    (3)
"kind (bit) happy" : 33.9%
    (4)
"very happy" : 7.4%
    (5)
Not willing to have baby at present : 87.3%  ―  reasons include having enough kid(s), economic burden,  not married yet,  cannot have baby for age or health etc,  not willing to give birth, living environment not good ...

★  <Apple Daily News>, Taiwan, head-page news , Nov. 5, 2011

   ◎ according to a report estimated by <日日春>,  the number of person at time to call/buy prostitutes per year is about 30,000,000 ( ps: Taiwan's population : 23,000,000 )  ◎ At present, there's no legal place for sex business.

★  <Apple Daily News>, Taiwan,  Dec. 1, 2011
According to a world survey (18-49 yrs old) by Durex, the average number of sexual partners for life as below:

World / female  Taiwan / female  World / male  Taiwan / male

7.6

3

18.5

5

 

rank next to the last

 

rank next to the last

 

<Liberty Times>, Dec. 6, 2011

A Legislator criticized a recent advertisement made by the Taiwanese government (Council of Labor Affairs) is a discrimination against women, this sort of creativity using gender stereotypes (men work outdoors, women as house-wife indoors) is not funny at all...


2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - Taiwan Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor issued at March 11, 2010, by the U.S. Department of State.

Violence against women, including rape and domestic violence remained a serious problem. Rape, including spousal rape, is a crime. Because victims were socially stigmatized, many did not report the crime, and the MOI estimated that the total number of sexual assaults was 10 times the number reported to the police. 

Social pressure not to disgrace their families discouraged abused women from reporting incidents to the police.

Trafficking in women remained a problem.

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a crime, punishable by fines from NT$100,000 to NT$ one million (approximately $3,080 to $30,800) and imprisonment for up to two years.

Women's groups complained that, despite the law and increased awareness of the issue, judicial authorities remained dismissive of sexual harassment complaints.

Taiwan is primarily a destination for Southeast Asian and PRC nationals trafficked into forced labor or sexual exploitation. There were reports of women being trafficked from Taiwan to Japan for sexual exploitation purposes.

2010 Trafficking in Persons Report Taiwan (Tier 1)

Released by the U.S. Department of State, June 14, 2010

Taiwan authorities fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

Taiwan is a destination, and to a much lesser extent, source and transit territory for men, women, and children subjected to forced prostitution and forced labor. Most trafficking victims in Taiwan are workers from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, employed through recruitment agencies and brokers to perform low-skilled work in Taiwan's manufacturing industries and as home caregivers and domestic workers.

Some women from Taiwan are recruited through classified ads to travel to Japan, Australia, the UK, and the United States for employment, where they are forced into prostitution. Taiwan is a transit territory for Chinese citizens who enter the United States illegally and may become victims of debt bondage and forced prostitution in the United States.

Amnesty International

Violence against women and girls

The strengthened Domestic Violence Prevention Act failed to provide adequate protection for victims due to poor implementation. In June, a High Court judge revealed that it could take days to issue an emergency protection order, much longer than the four-hour limit required by law. Women’s groups continued to criticize judges for lacking gender awareness.

Women continued to be trafficked into Taiwan. In November, the cabinet approved a draft Anti-Human Trafficking Law.

  United Nations UNDPGEM)      2004 / 10 / 02   ( reported by <the United daily News> Taiwan )

Taiwan's < Gender Empowerment Measure > (GEM) in 2002 is 0.657, ranking world No. 20,  better than Singapore's No. 21 and Japan's No. 39, but actually Taiwan has moved backwards  ― No. 17 in 1997...

Taiwan's three other items ranked no so well ... i.e., Taiwanese women's GDP index (57%) in UNDP survey ranked world No. 61, which is much worse than China's ( communist China ) ranking world No. 22.

PS: it seems no Taiwan's data in latest UNDP reports ―  Measuring inequality: Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) and Gender Development Index (GDI)    http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/

Taiwan's harassment & indecency controversy cases

◎  Feb. 14, 2011, <United Daily News>

    35% of the cases that Taiwan's judges sentenced ( brought in a verdict ) sexual assault offenders is lower than the statutory minimum sentence.

◎  June 16, 2010

A top position man in a tech company was accused to sexual harass his girl-subordinate by indecent behaviors : placed his hands on her upper hip (waist) for ten seconds and hooked her shoulder twice while in the colleagues party, she felt being offended and failed to evade his dirty hands, finally left the seat.

The Taiwan Supreme Court decided the case that the accused is not guilty of sexual harassment crime , because he did not touch accuser's breast, physical privacy parts (waist doesn't count) or bottom.

The accuser asked compensation of NT$1230000 after first instanse by elementary court ( the accuser won the 1st round ).
    ps:  73% Taiwanese in poll/survey think holding a girl's waist against her will is sexual harassment crime.  
           The largest women organization in Taiwan has same view.

◎  March 2009

 A girl brought a case ( sexual harassment crime) against a man who  masturbated in the Taipei train station and threw his sperm (seminal fluid) to her skirt.  The prosecutor decided this is not a prosecution case, because the man did not reach his hands to the girl's body. 

 
◎  Sept., 2008

A alumnus is accused to be sexual harassment crime for placing his hand on his alumna's shoulder while taking a group photo in alumni gathering party.  This case has not decided yet (3 years passed already).

◎  Jan. 2008

A man squeezed a girl's breast for 10 seconds  ―   judge in first instance decided it's just a sexual harassment crime, not a compulsory indecency (a serious crime), in 2nd instance the judge decided it is  a compulsory indecency since the girl cannot escape to anywhere from a very crowded place.


◎  Aug. 16, 2010

A 31 yrs old man sexual assaulted with his fingers to a minor (6-year-old child girl), the judge decided it's a 3 years & 2 months penalty sentence, for the sexual assault offender's behavior was not against the victim's will/intension.  (The prosecutor asked a 7+ years sentence)

◎  June, 2010   

An officer in Taiwan's Dept. of Defense sexual assaulted with his hands on a high-school student's breast in day-time, and also humiliated her by dirty words.    The martial court  in first instance decided in Aug. it's a  sexual harassment crime    4 months or fine penalty.


◎  Sept. 1, 2010
 

A 3-year-old child girl was sexual assaulted, the Supreme Court decided there's no proof that the offender's behavior was against the victim's will/intension.

source : apple daily taiwan

ps: Taiwan plans to modify the law to punish the accused who sexual assaulted on kids,  Apple Daily News at Sept 28, 2010 urged Taiwan should not be affected too much by Taiwanese Populism and political correctness. 
 
ps sexual assaulting on child under 12 yrs old : 5+ yrs sentence (10 13, 2010)

Taiwanese Women still face discrimination

 from <Women still face discrimination>, By Shelley Huang, REPORTER, Tuesday, Mar 09, 2010, Page 2

OBSTACLES: Salary adjustments and opportunities for promotion are two major areas where women suffer discrimination, a Council of Labor Affairs survey showed

◎ About one out of four working women still encounter sexual discrimination in the workplace, Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) statistics showed yesterday.

◎  2008 data showed that working women in Taiwan earned on average 81.7 percent as much as men.

◎  Although female workers found that sexual discrimination in the workplace has been declining, about 27 percent still feel discriminated against. A majority said the “range of salary adjustment” and “opportunities for promotion” were the main areas in which sexual discrimination existed.

 Synovate , Aegis Group plc.        iservice.libertytimes.com.tw   ,  2009-06-10,    by Anita Yang

... About 90% female Taiwanese think financial independence is important for them, particularly, 96% younger or single & unmarried ones agree so  ...  Female's average amount of their payroll/salary is less than male's, even working the same thing ...

35% southern female Taiwanese unfaithful       Oct. 9, 2010

  According to a college survey, 35.6% of women in southern Taiwan had extra-marital affairs .

  These women 're easier to get climax/orgasm through extra-marital affairs.

   This survey shows modern Taiwanese female are sexual independent (autonomy).

44% female Taiwanese prefer to separate if no orgasm,   <Apple Daily News> Taiwan, 11.12.2010

◎    77% : never or very seldom reach orgasm together with partner

◎    78% : pretend to reach orgasm

◎    sexual problem : (1) 41% - very hard to get orgasm  (2) 38% - fear pregnant  (3)  31% - can't get "G point" (Glafenberg)

◎   experts : female Taiwanese already took initiative, active steps for pleasure.  

★  Social value & Taiwanese teen (under age) prostitutes

<the China Times > Oct. 30, 2010 :  Taiwanese laugh at the poor, instead of prostitutes ...  that's Taiwan's social value.

<Liberty Times > Oct. 30, 2010 :  The social value gives kids wrong concept, ...  education should let kids know ....  Money is not everything.

<Apple Daily News > Oct. 30, 2010 :   Taiwanese teenagers' moral value weakened ....  we should rebuild our social value system.

"Our Society"     <the China Times>      2010-11-02     author : 【人民/vice professor

...  When Taiwanese girl-youngsters take money pursuit as their lives' sole value for envying rich people's life, we no longer need to surprise that they are not interested in the Literature, the Philosophy, the Arts and Science,  and not conscious at the essence of life,  they only to exchange enjoyment of material (material pleasures) with their youth and  nude bodies ...

Put the education : "Equality between Male and Female" into practice!   <United Daily News>   2010.11.02   author:【Professor Liao 廖玉蕙

The head of Taiwan's Education Dept. did not introduce female professor by using the title "Professor", but did call the title for male professors presenting in a Literature & Arts contest awarding ceremony held by Education Dept. ,government of Taiwan R.O.C.

... Taiwan has been trying to eliminate a long-term phenomena ―  inequality between men and women, ...  but if we look into this issue certainly will find out the equality between men and women is still so far away ...

... a hard and sad "Motherhood myth" has lasted from old time till today, really is Taiwan's shame  ...  they strongly appraise the motherhood's selflessness without personal identity, and the virtue without complaints and regrets, those kind of stale and old age thinking  ...   has been encouraging women to depress themselves ( including human's instinct for pursuing health and happiness ) only for the family...

... these sort of distorted concepts really is a potential crisis/threats to Taiwan's education in equality between men and women.

<Taipei Times>Taiwan, May 21, 2011
The Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) will take effect (Jan. 1, 2012) through an act passed by the legislature yesterday.   ( CEDAW was adopted by the UN in 1979)  

<the Liberty Times>, Taiwan, May 21, 2011  : Since Taiwan's police insulted aborigines during unscheduled check-up / visitations recently, and KMT (Nationalist Party) former high-ranking official insult Taiwanese aborigines by the term "mongrel (or son of a bitch)", a legislator is trying to raise and pass a convention on the elimination of discrimination against Taiwan's aborigines.

<United Daily News>Taiwan, May 6, 2013
According to a survey by national Taiwan Normal university students' association : there still is sexual discrimination on campus  ―  40% students have seen / heard their teachers made speech concerning sexual bias ( discrimination)... 四成學生曾聽聞教師在課堂發表持有性別偏見的言論,且高達六成因性別氣質遭同儕嘲弄...

★  <Freedom House> Reports , 2009-2010
Freedom House, a Washington-based non-governmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom around the world.

Rape and domestic violence remain problems despite government programs to protect women and the work of numerous NGOs to improve women’s rights. Although authorities can pursue such cases without the victims formally pressing charges, cultural norms inhibit many women from reporting the crimes. Taiwan is both a source and destination for trafficked women. In January 2009, the legislature passed a law that specifically criminalized sex and labor trafficking while increasing penalties for such offenses.


 

 For precise meanings pls refer to Chinese version article

 

                       

    


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ranking No.1 by Chinese keyword "Taiwan women's rights" on Google, tests at Jan. 27, 2015, Sept. 9~ 13, 2014, Jan. 28, 2012,
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Scholars' studies in Taiwanese women's rights ―  family (marriage) violence , written in Chinese as below :

女權

 

學術文獻

在父權價值觀裡,丈夫對妻子的掌控是攸關男人面子的事 (Archer & Lloyd, 2004)。

陳芬苓(2001)指出,國家機器中的警察機構和司法體系,對於女性受暴力行為仍反應一種男性主流的價值觀。

女權運動試圖改造父權體制在公╱私領域的劃分上,婦女團體積極提倡救援雛妓,打擊家庭暴力,爭取兩性工作平等,提倡兩性平等教育,主張政治改革,建立家內平權和倡議身體自主等,將觸角由性騷擾、性侵犯、婚姻暴力、情慾自主等私領域問題,轉化成了公共論述,意圖影響政府的婦女政策,以確實保障婦女權益(傅立葉,2002;張玨,2004;胡藹若,2004)。

婚姻暴力與文化有關 :  朱柔若、吳柳嬌(2005)認為,受暴婦女的存在,是性別權力結構失衡所產生的社會問題。

張晉芬(2003)指出,家庭暴力既是性別權力不平等的結果,也反映出男人將將女人當成家產看待的普遍心態,家庭暴力事件並 非個別家庭或個別男性的問題或行為,而是男尊女卑及女性為男性附屬品下的產物。

由以上的文獻中可看出,婚姻暴力是性別與權力的角力過程,是社會問題而非個人問題。
frm: <臺灣女權論述發展的考察- 以婚姻暴力為例>  高惠珠/南華大學社會所碩   Dec. 15 2006

 

 


PS: All above are abstractions/excerpts from articles in int'l media and papers.