The Cabinet yesterday approved the first nationwide action plan to combat gender-based violence, which would mandate education on preventative measures for students at least four hours annually and extend the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases.
Department of Gender Equality Deputy Director Lin Chiu-chun (林秋君) said that the action plan would include prevention, construction of a multifaceted service system for victims, laws and judicial rights, and data construction and research.
The actions taken to deal with the four major issues would fall into three categories: protecting children and teenagers, increasing gender inclusivity, and preventing digital or online gender-based violence, she said.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
In an effort to protect children and teenagers, students at the high-school level or below would be required to take at least four hours of classes on gender-based violence prevention every year to heighten their awareness of bodily autonomy, Lin said.
Meetings, workshops and mixed media would be used to enhance principals’ and teachers’ abilities to recognize and tackle gender-based violence, as well as provide counseling and protection, she said.
Authorities would supervise the removal of blind spots in campus safety, and the improvement of soft and hard facilities, Lin said.
Regarding laws and judicial rights, forensic interviewing would be introduced to help children leverage judicial resources, while the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases would be extended, she said.
To increase gender inclusivity, a scheme to double gender-friendly restrooms would be implemented, Lin said, adding that gender diversity would be promoted in schools and society to eliminate discrimination, with medium and long-term resources to be deployed.
Judicial personnel’s gender sensitivity, and professional knowledge and skills would be enhanced to enable a gender-friendly judicial environment, Lin said.
To prevent gender-based violence digitally or online, which became increasingly complicated with the development of the Internet, training for prevention personnel would be bolstered nationwide, she said.
The idea of digital or online gender-based violence prevention would not only be promoted in schools and communities, but would also be taught to owners and employers of media or online platforms, so that all parties involved would be held responsible and such wrongdoings could be prevented from the source, Lin said.
People could also seek help from the Sexual Images Processing Center, which would ask online platforms to take down their sexual images or restrict the access to defend their rights, she said.
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