The government should consider the interests of women when forming 921 quake reconstruction policies, representatives from the League of Taiwan Women (台灣女人連線) said at a press conference yesterday.
Representatives from the group described the nation's reconstruction policies as flawed, saying they do little to address the difficulties of the earthquake's female victims, especially those living in agricultural areas.
Because Taiwan's social structure favors men and emphasizes urban development, the group said, the needs of women in agricultural areas go unrecognized.
TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO
"Women have been ignored by reconstruction programs while the welfare of many other underprivileged groups has garnered intensive attention," said Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青), secretary-general of the women's group.
Since last year's devastating quake, the League of Taiwan Women has been working to help female victims of the deadly temblor, especially in small towns in central Taiwan.
A recent survey conducted by the group indicates that -- like most quake victims -- women who survived the quake are concerned about the lack of job opportunities and the financial pressures 921 has placed on their families.
In addition, the lack of permanent housing remains a major concern.
Because the 921 quake damaged or destroyed most farm fields and factories, a number of female victims have lost job opportunities, which were often performed on a part-time basis.
"These women are desperate to find a job to support their families," Hsu said.
"Financial difficulties have triggered arguments and quarrels in some families," she added.
According to the group's survey, roughly 33 percent of women affected by the quake are in families that earn less than NT$20,000 monthly.
In addition, some women are limited by cultural values that emphasize a women's role as family caretaker over her education, said Liu Shu-chung (
Thus, Liu said, women who have passed up education earlier in life are not able to find jobs with good salaries.
Moreover, according to the League of Taiwan Women, female quake victims have also been preoccupied caring for family members hurt during the earthquake. Their role as a caretaker often makes it difficult to take on a job.
Another major problem facing women in afflicted quake areas is the difficulty in obtaining mortgages from banks.
"Victims who lost their properties or documents proving ownership of their real estate are always rejected by the bank," Hsu noted.
In addition, the women's group said that the quality of life in the temporary housing units is a major concern of female quake victims.
The poor design of the homes has caused drainage problems; hot and rainy days make life in the temporary housing units unbearable, and sometimes jeopardize the health of family members.
Roughly a third of the respondents to the group's survey said that financial disputes resulting from the quake have led to arguments or, in some cases, domestic abuse.
The league said that their data indicates that problems facing women in agricultural areas may have been underestimated due to their poor access to information and their unwillingness to make family affairs public.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft