Women's groups rallied together yesterday to condemn lawmakers for being so concerned about mudslinging that they are idling away their terms without getting any real work done.
"Stop putting on a show, and stop mudslinging. Get your jobs done," chanted dozens of women's rights activists outside the Legislative Yuan yesterday morning.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Enduring chilly and rainy weather, the activists had gathered to press lawmakers to concentrate on passing bills that would fundamentally affect women's rights -- such as amending the property law and passing an equal working opportunities bill.
They said there have been few serious discussions on bills in the legislature over the past few months as most of the legislators have "wasted" their time on verbal attacks and stirring up political factionalism.
"They have talked about nothing besides the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and the Kenting oil spill for months, while giving no attention to their law-making work," activists said.
Although yesterday was International Women's Day, the activists said they were in no mood to celebrate as these long-anticipated changes had still not come about.
Yu Mei-nu
"Few of them care what legal changes are urgently needed," Yu said. "It seems what we ordinary citizens care about in real life never crosses their minds. We're really fed up with these idle people."
The draft of amendments to the property law, which would alter fundamentally the division of property between divorced couples, has been pending for legislative review since April. The Gender Equal Working Opportunity Bill, which women's groups have been advocating for more than 10 years, has been shelved since March last year.
Over the past decade, the Awakening Foundation has succeeded in pushing through a number of legal changes for gender equality along with other women's groups.
Yu said if the bills are not passed the current legislative session, they will have to wait until the election of the new legislature in December.
"And then all the efforts we've put in over the past few years will have been in vain and we'll have to start all over again," she said.
About 20 legislators joined the rally yesterday, and pledged to avoid mudslinging and get on with the job at hand.
Meanwhile, Vice President Annette Lu (
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