Ahead of International Women’s Day today, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday acknowledged the contributions made by women and promised to include gender impact assessments in government policies and establish a gender equality mechanism.
“Making sure women are safe, respecting diversity, implementing gender equality and promoting gender parity in politics are our goals and we should value women’s contributions to the workplace and in the family and make sure they receive equal treatment,” Ma said in a written statement.
In a piece titled “Appreciation and blessings to all women in the country,” Ma said his government had requested that all government bodies conduct gender impact assessments before presenting long-term projects and bills, and that his administration would set up a gender equality mechanism as part of efforts to include gender equality in government policies.
About 30 percent of legislators in Taiwan are women, a ratio that is much higher than in other Asian countries — including Japan, South Korea and Singapore — Ma said, adding that his government had worked to carry out his election campaign promise to increase the number of female members in all government committees to 30 percent and to alllow an equal opportunity to participate in the decision-making process of major policies.
At a separate setting yesterday, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) said each government department should prioritize women’s rights to create a more friendly environment.
“There is still a lot of improvement to be made as the participation of women in politics and labor is lower than men’s, as is their average income,” he said.
Describing women as an important pillar of society, Liu said their sense of responsibility and innate understanding of the “big picture” made them a precious resource.
Minister of the Interior Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) said Taiwan ranked No. 22 in the UN’s gender development index (GDI) and No. 24 in the gender empowerment measure (GEM).
The GDI assesses women’s life expectancy, gross enrolment rate, literacy and income, while the GEM measures increases in women’s political and economic decision-making power, as well as participation in professional fields.
Upon its completion next year, the new Tamkang Bridge (淡江大橋) in New Taipei City is to be an important landmark in Taiwan, alongside Taipei 101, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shi-kai (陳世凱) said today. The bridge is scheduled to be completed in December next year and open to the public in the first half of 2026, connecting New Taipei City’s Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里) districts. It is an asymmetric single-tower suspension bridge, nearly 70 stories tall, designed by world-famous architect Zaha Hadid. The bridge aims to alleviate traffic in Tamsui and on the Guandu Bridge (關渡大橋), in addition to increasing the
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: As some roads would be fully or partially closed, people are advised to take the MRT, with services expanded to accommodate more riders This year’s Taipei Marathon, which has obtained its first gold label certification from World Athletics, is to be held from 5am to 1pm tomorrow and would have 28,000 participants. The race is to start from the Taipei City Plaza and would go through major roads throughout the city, with traffic control implemented from 6am to 2pm, officials said. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system and New Taipei City MRT Circle line would start operating at 5am on the day of the race, they said. The race would cover Renai Road, Xinyi Road, Hangzhou S Road, Aiguo east and west roads,
EXERCISES: A 2022 article by a Chinese intelligence expert identified at least six People’s Liberation Army assault boats hidden inside the Hong Kong-flagged ship A Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship that had been docked at Taichung Port and which previously took part in Chinese military exercises departed from the port on Saturday, the Taiwan International Ports Corp’s Taichung branch said yesterday. The statement came in response to a post on the social media platform X by Taiwan-based journalist Chris Horton that said the ship, the SCSC Fortune, had been docked at the port since Tuesday and questioned whether Taiwan has any rules regarding foreign civilian vessels that have participated in People’s Liberation Army (PLA) exercises. Horton referenced a 2022 article by Chinese intelligence expert Rod Lee that
PROBLEMATIC: Popular hotpot restaurant chains were among the list of restaurants that failed the inspection and have been ordered to remove bad ingredients The Taipei Department of Health’s latest inspection of hotpot ingredients in hotpot restaurants resulted in a 16.7 percent failure rate. Eight vegetables had excessive pesticide residue and two other items had aflatoxin and excessive preservatives. As the weather is getting colder, more people eat at hotpot restaurants so a random inspection of ingredients was conducted in October to ensure food safety, the department said. Food and Drug Division Director Lin Kuan-chen (林冠蓁) said 60 different ingredients were tested: 15 high-risk vegetables, 15 processed food items, 10 soy-based food items, five meat items, five lamb items, five seafood items and five peanut powder
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