The first women's law reference book, "Women's Six Laws -- A compilation of women's rights-related laws and practices" was released yesterday in the hopes of helping Taiwan's women be better equipped to protect themselves.
The 655-page reference book was published by the Foundation of Equal Rights and Advancement of Women (
The book details all laws enacted or amended over the past ten years that relate specifically to women, including amendments to the Criminal Law, amendments on the Civil Law's domestic relation section, the Sexual Assault Prevention Law, and the Domestic Violence Prevention Law.
Deputy Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (
"The book is a manifestation of ten years of `women make law movement' (
Ten years ago, because of sexual discrimination in an employment case, Yu Mei-Nu (尤美女), a woman lawyer and former board member of the Awakening Foundation, teamed up with other women lawyers on a project to initiate a law to ensure equal employment between men and women.
The project resulted in a draft of the Workplace Gender Equity Bill, legislation that is expected to be passed in the current legislative session.
According to Wang, the heroines of the ten-year "women make law" movement include Tu Hsiu-ray and lawyers Wang Ching-fong (王清峰) of the Women's Rescue Foundation, Yang Fang-wan (楊芳婉) of the Taipei Awakening Association, and Shen Mei-cheng (沈美真).
However, she said justice between the genders in Taiwan has not yet been achieved. "For example, mechanisms related to the Domestic Violence Prevention Law, among others, are still incomplete," Wang said. "Taiwan's gender education has just started, and we have a long way to go .... But this book can be a first and important step."
The Foundation of Equal Rights and Advancement of Women also released a survey of Taiwan women yesterday to coincide with the book's publication. The poll on women's rights and fears showed that over 80 percent of respondents were unaware or unfamiliar with the laws that could protect them.
The poll, conducted by the CTN Poll and Market Research Center, showed two-thirds (65 percent) of 1,070 women did not know if there were laws to ensure their rights.
More than 71 percent of respondents worried about being sexually harassed on public transportation and in public places. Half feared becoming the victim of a sexual assault; 48 percent feared being harassed on campus; and almost 21 percent were worried about confronting domestic violence.
Along with the publishing of the book, a series of lectures and study groups will be held to promote the awareness of laws protecting women. Taiwanese opera (
"But now with this book, I don't have to pass as a man to have my rights secured," she said.
The book is available at the Eslite Bookstore (
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting
RSS