The government needs to do more to prevent domestic violence, campaigners said yesterday as the Ministry of the Interior celebrated the 10th anniversary of the implementation of the Domestic Violence Law (家暴法).
“I tried not to say anything at first when I became a victim of domestic violence, because I wanted to keep my family together,” Lee Ping (李冰), a former victim of domestic violence, said at the event.
“But the more I tolerated it, the more severe the violence became,” she said.
What was more painful, Lee said, was her ex-husband beating her child.
“Finally we were divorced, but at the time people had no idea about protecting victims of domestic violence, so the court assigned guardianship of my child to the father,” she said, in tears.
“My child continued to get beaten, but didn’t dare tell anyone,” Lee said.
All that changed after June 24, 1998.
“On June 24, 1998, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to adopt a law against domestic violence. That’s something we’re proud of,” Minister of the Interior Liao Liao-yi (廖了以) said.
“During the past 10 years, we set up the 113 nationwide domestic violence hotline, established a single window through which cases are reported and coordinated efforts from the judiciary, police and health, education and social welfare authorities,” he said.
“We also trained police officers in dealing with domestic violence and set up legal assistance centers for victims at courts,” the minister said.
Although they lauded the government’s efforts, civic group members said more improvements were needed.
“Spending more on domestic violence prevention and victim protection is not really spending, it’s making an investment,” said Chou Ching-yu (周清玉), chairwoman of the Taiwan Coalition Against Violence and a member of the Executive Yuan’s Commission for Promotion of Women’s Rights.
“At the moment, social workers are outsourced. They’re paid little and have no chance for promotion in the civil service system,” Chou said.
“We need to respect their professionalism and give them places in the civil service system to keep them,” she said.
Meanwhile, Chou suggested that there should be a high-level government agency in charge of handling domestic violence cases and coordination of different Cabinet departments.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) today announced that several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon Ragasa. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has maintained sea and land warnings for the typhoon. Its storm circle reached the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) on Taiwan's southern tip at 11am today. Tigerair Taiwan said it canceled Monday's IT551/IT552 Taoyuan-Da Nang, IT606/IT607 Taoyuan-Busan and IT602 Taoyuan-Seoul Incheon flights. Tomorrow, cancelations include IT603 Seoul Incheon-Taoyuan, as well as flights between Taoyuan and Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Saga, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Asahikawa and Jeju. On Wednesday, the IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau round-trip would also be canceled. CAL announced that today's
RSS