Groups call on legislators to pass laws related to improving women's rights

"Parents in Taiwan pay over NT$10,000 a month to hire a nanny. Add in tuition and other expenses, and it takes a considerable amount of money to raise a kid."

Liu Yu-hsiu, head of the Peng Wan-ru Foundation

In an effort to create a friendlier environment for women in Taiwan, representatives from various women's groups yesterday urged legislators to keep gender issues in mind and push bills related to women's rights.

Organized by the Taiwan Women's Link, women's groups sat down with legislators from all parties yesterday in "Build a Women-Friendly Nation" forum to talk about public policies concerning women's rights.

"I hope the forum is a beginning of collaborate efforts by the government and the public to improve women's rights in Taiwan," said National Chengchi University law professor Chen Hui-shing (陳惠馨), who is former chairwoman of the Women Professors' Association.

During yesterday's forum, the National Union of Taiwan Women Association (NUTWA), the Garden of Hope, Taiwan Women's Link, the Awakening Foundation, the Taiwanese Feminist Scholars Association and other groups joined forces to push for further revisions of bills, including the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (家庭暴力防治法), the Genetic Health Law (優生保健法) and the Child and Youth Sexual Transaction Prevention Act (兒童及少年性交易防治法).

In addition, representatives from women's groups also urged legislators to pay attention to issues such as prostitution and nanny fees.

"Parents in Taiwan pay over NT$10,000 a month to hire a nanny. Add in tuition and other expenses, and it takes a considerable amount of money to raise a kid," said Liu Yu-hsiu (劉毓秀), chairwoman of the Peng Wan-ru Foundation.

Liu said that high nanny fees and tuitions have discouraged many women from getting pregnant. Some even shun getting married. As a result, more and more men in Taiwan are seeking brides overseas, and many social problems, including abuse of foreign spouses and illegal overseas marriage agencies, have followed.

"Therefore a policy to regulate nanny fees and provide parents with a birth allowance may raise the birth rate and prevent these problems from happening," she said.

Chinese Nationalist Party legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) suggested that women's groups set up a timeline for policies they are working to have passed or revised.

"I don't think any of the bills or policies will be passed or revised during this year's legislative sessions if you don't set up priorities for these issues," Huang said.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) expressed a similar view. While she agreed that all the issues are equally important, she said policies need to be pushed in phases.

"In addition, I think many male legislators do not care as much about these policies as female legislators do. The negligence by male legislators adds to the difficulties of getting all the policies taken care of," Tsai said.