Accompanied by floating balloons, tens of thousands of women marched through the streets of Taiwan yesterday to celebrate this year's heavily politicized International Women's Day.
With election campaigns running at full steam, it was little surprise that three major presidential candidates cashed in on Women's Day-related activities. The day even saw minor clashes among female supporters of the three camps.
The KMT's Lien Chan (
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Feminists said that this was the first time women's issues have received so much attention from Taiwan's politicians, and was unique in that never had so many women been mobilized for political ends.
But, they said, women should distinguish clearly which activities could promote women's rights and autonomy and which were simply electioneering.
A DPP women's campaign group yesterday launched what they dubbed a "Women 2000 Tour of History" to celebrate International Women's Day.
Led by Chen Shui-bian's running mate Annette Lu (
Lu said that as Taiwan enters the 21st century, women should waste no time in voicing their concerns and making known their aspirations.
Each of the train's 10 coaches was headed by one of 10 feminist leaders and women politicians, lecturing on 10 key issues covering politics, education, the environment and safety.
At noon yesterday, Lu and women supporters around the island simultaneously began whistling -- in what they said was a show of unity in their resolution to promote women's rights.
Lu called on the female electorate to "vote smart." Women should vote for the candidate who truly cares about their issues, she said.
As the whistling event proceeded in Kaohsiung, however, tempers flared as a DPP women's campaign group confronted women from the KMT at the main train station.
In response to the whistling, the female KMT supporters donned earplugs and produced banners bearing the slogan: "Against noise, against war." As the two sides broke into a shouting match, police intervened.
Another clash took place in Taipei between supporters from the camps of Soong and Lien.
Around two hours after Lien held his Women's Day event, about 30,000 Soong supporters marched to Lien's headquarters, shouting pro-Soong slogans. Some elderly supporters even tried to break into the building.
In response to the provocation, supporters from Lien's camp turned up the volume on their public address system -- which was broadcasting the KMT campaign jingle -- and taunted the Soong supporters with exaggerated flag-waving, until sporadic skirmishes broke out.
Members of women's rights groups, meanwhile, expressed concern over the politicization of Women's Day rallies.
Peng Yen-wen (
"This should be a day when women remember that they are still fighting for autonomy. Women should take into consideration relevant policy issues before casting their vote at the ballot box," she said.
It is still unclear which camp will take the lion's share of women's votes.
The DPP's Chen, with his "Shui-tan-tan" women's campaign group, has advocated a variety of welfare plans for women.
Officials for Chen cited a poll by Commonwealth magazine, indicating Chen's women's policies were deemed the most acceptable among those proposed by the three candidates.
Soong, on the other hand, with his "Wanshui" women's campaign group (
Lien's campaign, with the KMT's department of women's affairs, claimed to have control over the majority of women's organizations.
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