To commemorate the April 20, 2000, death of “Rose Boy” Yeh Yung-chih (葉永鋕), who had been bullied due to his gender nonconformity, the Ministry of Education last year designated April 20 as Gender Equality Education Day. It is to be observed for the first time on Thursday.
The purpose of highlighting gender equality is to create a society inclusive of all people. Be it in the workplace, on campus or in one’s family, it is hoped that people of all gender identities can be treated with respect and kindness. No discrimination or harassment should be inflicted on someone because of their sexuality or gender.
The meaning and values of Gender Equality Education Day are significant, as they represent an important milestone in the promotion of gender equality in Taiwan.
Regrettably, sexual harassment still accounts for one-third of all cases reported to local administration offices.
When a person is sexually harassed, their autonomy could be severely damaged. Moreover, their basic rights, such as the right to work and the right to education, are infringed.
The workplace is where sexual harassment is most likely to occur, and when it does, such incidents can affect not only the victim’s basic rights, but also their family. It is imperative to tackle the issue seriously and eradicate workplace bullying.
In the past few months, many sexual harassment cases have been reported, and many employers, supervisors and top executives have been charged as perpetrators.
As these investigations proceed, people have questioned the effectiveness of sexual harassment laws, specifically Article 13 of the Act of Gender Equality in Employment (性別工作平等法). It states that “When employers know of the occurrence of sexual harassment ... immediate and effective correctional and remedial measures shall be implemented.”
The provision requires employers to be responsible for the prevention and correction of sexual harassment, meaning they can act as both baseball player and umpire in cases where they themselves are accused of sexual harassment.
As a result, it is unlikely that such cases of sexual harassment would be effectively addressed or remedied, and consequently, the victims would find the act ineffectual.
The Awakening Foundation — in collaboration with Democratic Progressive Party legislators Hung Sun-han (洪申翰), Fan Yun (范雲), Lin I-chin (林宜瑾) and Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) — held a public hearing on the issue. They demanded that an external, independent mechanism for investigating sexual harassment claims against employers should be established.
Experts and academics have said that loopholes in laws should have been addressed a long time ago, adding that a public consensus has already been reached on amending existing laws.
However, some government agencies, on the pretext of a labor shortage, have said they do not want to head up such external investigations.
Endeavoring to solve the problem by pushing forward an amendment, Hung requested that the Ministry of Labor and other agencies review the staffing and budgets of local administration offices as soon as possible.
Sexual harassment in the workplace should not be tolerated. This issue deserves more discussions and attention, and it should be addressed once and for all.
Lee Cheng-lin is a graduate student in National Taipei University’s Department of Law.
Translated by Emma Liu
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump’s second administration has gotten off to a fast start with a blizzard of initiatives focused on domestic commitments made during his campaign. His tariff-based approach to re-ordering global trade in a manner more favorable to the United States appears to be in its infancy, but the significant scale and scope are undeniable. That said, while China looms largest on the list of national security challenges, to date we have heard little from the administration, bar the 10 percent tariffs directed at China, on specific priorities vis-a-vis China. The Congressional hearings for President Trump’s cabinet have, so far,
The US Department of State has removed the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” in its updated Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, which instead iterates that “we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.” This shows a tougher stance rejecting China’s false claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Since switching formal diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China in 1979, the US government has continually indicated that it “does not support Taiwan independence.” The phrase was removed in 2022
US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have each given their thoughts on Russia’s war with Ukraine. There are a few proponents of US skepticism in Taiwan taking advantage of developments to write articles claiming that the US would arbitrarily abandon Ukraine. The reality is that when one understands Trump’s negotiating habits, one sees that he brings up all variables of a situation prior to discussion, using broad negotiations to take charge. As for his ultimate goals and the aces up his sleeve, he wants to keep things vague for
RSS