As the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act (性騷擾防治法) passed its third reading in the Legislative Yuan yesterday, women's rights activists said the new law was a gift for Taiwanese women.
"The importance of the Sexual Harassment Act is that sexual harassment will be defined as a crime from now on," said Gau Fehng-shian (高鳳仙), a judge with the Taiwan High Court and a member of the Alliance to Campaign for the Three Prevention Acts, a women's rights advocacy group.
The "three prevention acts" are the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act, the Sexual Abuse Prevention Act (
In a press conference held by the alliance and female lawmakers yesterday, Gau said that the passage of the law would force the public to treat sexual harassment more seriously and would deter sex offenders.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (
"Female legislators from all parties have been putting enormous effort into pushing for the passage of the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act in the Legislative Yuan. I am very proud of our cooperation, and I believe the passage of the act is a big move for women in Taiwan," Hsiao said.
Echoing Hsiao's remark, People First Party Legislator Chin Huei-chu (
"The amendments to the Sexual Abuse Prevention Act and Domestic Violence Prevention Act are still pending. If the other two laws are amended, it will be extremely good news for all women," Chin added.
Gau explained that the difference between the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act and the other two laws is that the sexual prevention act stipulates dual responsibility for offenders and the parties in charge of the premises in which a crime takes place.
"If sexual harassment happens in the MRT, for example, not only will the offender be punished, but the MRT administration will have to share responsibility and come up with proper solutions, such as posting offenders' pictures in all stations as a warning to the public," Gau said.
Under the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act, actions including molesting, kissing by force, bribing for sexual services, or intimidating people for sexual purposes in a public place will all be regarded as sexual harassment.
According to the act, public places include areas such as parks, subways, bus stations, airports, restaurants, hospitals and temples.
Victims of sexual harassment that occurs in schools or at the workplace are protected by the Gender Equality in Employment Law (
The act also asks the government at every level to establish arbitration systems which might provide a more flexible way for victims to report a crime without having to face the offender in court.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.