To commemorate the April 20, 2000, death of Yeh Yung-chih (葉永鋕) — a boy who had been bullied by classmates due to his gender nonconformity — the Ministry of Education last year designated April 20 as Gender Equality Education Day.
Although Taiwan ranks sixth among 163 countries in overall gender equality and first in Asia, according to a Cabinet report, gender equality issues still persist in society, whether at home, on campus or at the office.
A teacher a New Taipei City’s elementary school recently accused the school’s director of general affairs of publicly humiliating her with abusive sexual language and swear words, as well as making romantic advances toward several other women.
Even though the teacher submitted evidence to police as early as February, neither the school’s gender equity education committee nor the Ministry of Education have investigated the matter, sparking public criticism that the system allows bureaucrats to shield each other.
Members of such committees usually comprise the school principal, faculty, staff and directors of different units. As schools have autonomy in deciding the number of members and type of representatives on such boards, the quality of a committee and the suitability of its members vary between schools. In February’s incident, it does not help that the accused happens to be a committee member. The Ministry of Education should change the reporting system and offer incentives for schools to make improvements.
Unfortunately, sexual abuse by superiors takes place not only on campuses, but also at the workplace. Sexual harassment of subordinates by their supervisors account for one-third of all reported cases, government data show. Such behavior takes a severe toll on a victim’s mental health, work performance and family life, and must be addressed with discretion and care.
However, accusations of sexual abuse at the workplace or on campus are often brushed aside.
Article 13 of the Gender Equality in Employment Act (性別工作平等法) states: “When employers know of the occurrence of sexual harassment mentioned in the preceding article, immediate and effective correctional and remedial measures shall be implemented.”
However, in many reported cases, the employers who are expected to exact remedial measures turn out to be the perpetrators of sexual harassment, undermining the impartiality of any investigation into the allegations.
Lawmakers and civic groups have been calling for amendments to the act to close the loophole by requiring the establishment of an external investigative body to handle sexual harassment cases involving employers.
As the public and private sectors appear to be in concert to resolve the matter, the government must designate an agency to oversee external investigations. Only in this way can there be a chance of eliminating workplace sexual harassment.
Meanwhile, as the number of male victims of domestic violence have been rising, the judiciary should push for further gender equality in terms of custody rights when a couple files for divorce.
As most social workers who make house visits to check on children’s welfare during a custody battle are female, their reports might favor the mother’s side. Consequently, odds are usually against the father when it comes to fighting for custody rights. To remedy this, the government could require visits by a male and a female social worker to have a balanced view on the matter.
Although Taiwan has made great strides toward gender equality, the last thing it can do is to rest on its laurels. Instead, it should further promote gender equality and address issues that are casting doubts on its status as a gender-friendly and gender-equal country.
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