The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has approved a proposal to set up a committee that will address the needs of the nation’s growing number of immigrant spouses.
The committee is to be composed of 11 to 19 members, half of whom would be new immigrants, the party said on Wednesday last week.
Committee members — which may include non-DPP members — and the chairperson are to be appointed by the DPP.
The committee chairperson’s tenure will be concomitant with that of the DPP chairperson, the party said.
Taiwan Women’s Link secretary-general Tsai Wan-fen (蔡宛芬), who is to serve as the committee’s chief executive, said that she hoped the inclusion of new immigrants in the committee would help the DPP better understand the group’s needs.
The committee will act as an intermediary between new immigrant spouses and the government, DPP spokesman Ruan Jhao-syong (阮昭雄) said.
Its aim will be to safeguard the rights and well-being of those spouses, Ruan added.
The committee will help the government become more multicultural in its outlook and promote exchanges with different cultures, he said.
Tsai said Taiwan Women’s Link had a program that encouraged second-generation immigrants to visit their parents’ home countries to learn more about their roots.
The committee will hold a series of conferences with city and county governments across the nation to gather more input about the daily challenges that new immigrant spouses and their children face, Tsai said.
“We hope these women will feel that Taiwan is their home and that we are here to support them,” she said.
There are about 500,000 immigrant spouses in the nation, including about 150,000 from Southeast Asia, making them the country’s fifth-largest demographic, Ruan said.
“These women are found throughout the country toiling away for Taiwan,” Ruan said, adding that the DPP has a responsibility to hear their concerns.
“Let us join hands with this community to help Taiwan become the friendliest multicultural society,” he said.
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