In the past week, Taiwanese have been posting selfies on Facebook with one hand covering their mouth. Their nails are painted. The initiator, Facebook group “Not speaking out does not mean it did not happen” (不發聲不代表沒發生), is gaining traction, with a Central News Agency report calling it the Taiwanese version of the MeToo movement.
The movement was prompted by reports about a New Taipei City Health Department worker surnamed Lin (林), who reportedly jumped from a building this month, leaving a lengthy note that accused her former employer at a care facility of sexual abuse.
The director, surnamed Liao (廖), and his wife have denied the allegations and the incident is still being investigated.
The details are murky and unfortunately only Liao and his wife remain alive to insist on their side of the story — that Liao was involved in an extramarital affair with Lin, who was not coerced into doing anything against her will. They have criticized Lin’s personal life and say they are the victims of a “lying homewrecker.”
This is reminiscent of the 2017 suicide of Lin Yi-han (林奕含), who in a fictional story described a cram school teacher who sexually assaults his students. Her real-life cram school teacher denied that the character in the story was based on him, although he said he had an extramarital affair with her.
Like Liao, the teacher and his family lamented to the media that “groundless allegations” had ruined their lives, despite no charges ever being filed.
Media attention and shame that accusers endure while cases are being investigated is often what stops people from reporting such incidents. That Lin from the health department took her life as she revealed the allegations speaks to this societal pressure.
“Pride is like a needle that sewed her mouth shut,” she wrote in the note.
A Liberty Times op-ed by legal commentary Web site Follaw stated: “Taiwanese society often heavily criticizes women who are sexually assaulted, which may be one reason why the victims are afraid of seeking help. Every time a woman is sexually assaulted, someone will say: ‘Women should know how to protect themselves. How can they let this happen to themselves?’ and so on.”
Perpetrators are often in a position of power, which makes it even harder to speak out, or even resist abuse.
Psychologist Ashley Chen (陳雪如) addressed this on Facebook, writing: “Your refusals are ignored, your boundaries are invaded, but everyone around you says that it is your fault, that you seduced your boss. You are in a very vulnerable position and in an environment that is controlled by the very person who is assaulting you.”
When the victim is too afraid to resist strongly, in a world where many still believe that “no means yes,” the perpetrator might actually believe that they are doing nothing wrong, Chen wrote. Even worse, the victims are often branded as homewreckers who willingly went along with the abuse and even formed a relationship with the perpetrator.
It is often shame, fear and self-doubt that leads the women to develop Stockholm syndrome to justify what they are enduring, she wrote. That is why these cases are often this murky, and public criticism does not help.
Hopefully, the “speaking out” movement is not just an immediate response to the suicides, but a serious call for people to pay attention to the problem, and for women to have the courage and support to stand out. It has been two years since the MeToo movement began and although it did have some effect in Taiwan, awareness still does not seem great enough.
An elderly mother and her daughter were found dead in Kaohsiung after having not been seen for several days, discovered only when a foul odor began to spread and drew neighbors’ attention. There have been many similar cases, but it is particularly troubling that some of the victims were excluded from the social welfare safety net because they did not meet eligibility criteria. According to media reports, the middle-aged daughter had sought help from the local borough warden. Although the warden did step in, many services were unavailable without out-of-pocket payments due to issues with eligibility, leaving the warden’s hands
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday announced that she would dissolve parliament on Friday. Although the snap election on Feb. 8 might appear to be a domestic affair, it would have real implications for Taiwan and regional security. Whether the Takaichi-led coalition can advance a stronger security policy lies in not just gaining enough seats in parliament to pass legislation, but also in a public mandate to push forward reforms to upgrade the Japanese military. As one of Taiwan’s closest neighbors, a boost in Japan’s defense capabilities would serve as a strong deterrent to China in acting unilaterally in the
Taiwan last week finally reached a trade agreement with the US, reducing tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15 percent, without stacking them on existing levies, from the 20 percent rate announced by US President Donald Trump’s administration in August last year. Taiwan also became the first country to secure most-favored-nation treatment for semiconductor and related suppliers under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act. In return, Taiwanese chipmakers, electronics manufacturing service providers and other technology companies would invest US$250 billion in the US, while the government would provide credit guarantees of up to US$250 billion to support Taiwanese firms
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told a news conference on Jan. 9, in response to China’s latest round of live-fire exercises in the Taiwan Strait: “India has an abiding interest in peace and stability in the region, in view of our trade, economic, people-to-people and maritime interests. We urge all parties to exercise restraint, avoid unilateral actions and resolve issues peacefully without threat or use of force.” The statement set a firm tone at the beginning of the year for India-Taiwan relations, and reflects New Delhi’s recognition of shared interests and the strategic importance of regional stability. While India
RSS