Print

Mail

wiki links

Number of female legislators increases following elections

Thirty-four women were elected in the Jan. 12 legislative elections, accounting for more than 30 percent of the total of 113 seats and signifying a sharp increase in the political participation of women and the nation's progress, the Awakening Foundation told reporters yesterday.

Tseng Chao-yuan (曾昭媛), secretary-general of the foundation, said the increase in the number of female legislators was the result of the adoption of the new single-member district, two votes electoral system used for the first time during the elections and under which at least half of the legislator-at-large seats won by each party have to be filled by female candidates. No district seats were reserved for women.

COMPARISON

Tseng said by comparison, women elected to the previous sixth legislature accounted for 22 percent of the seats, dropping to 18 percent following the replacement of vacated legislator-at-large seats.

Noting that the foundation had publicly endorsed 11 legislative candidates who were proponents of gender equality-friendly policies and legislation, Tseng said that three of them had been elected -- Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) and Shyu Jong-shyoung (徐中雄) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

APPEAL

Tseng appealed to both the pan-blue and pan-green camps to attach greater importance to the promotion of female legislators, to continue to nurture female politicians and to encourage more women to enter politics.
This story has been viewed 1108 times.