Social rights activists and politicians toppled a red-brick wall symbolizing the fears and concerns of female victims of sexual abuse or domestic violence to demonstrate their determination to protect and safeguard women's rights.
The activity was organized by the nonprofit Garden of Hope Foundation to mark its 20th anniversary. The organization is committed to helping girls and young women who face a difficult plight, especially those in the sex trade or are victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Commending the foundation’s role as a savior of women suffering from abuse or violence over the past 20 years, former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) voiced her hope that the public would show greater concern for abused women.
PHOTO: LIU HSIN-DE, TAIPEI TIMES
Lu urged the new government to allocate more funding to women’s affairs and social welfare in addition to their focus on national defense and foreign affairs.
Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng (王清峰), the first woman to hold the post, said that while the foundation had devoted itself to caring for female victims of violence or abuse, “there is still room for us to make more effort.”
Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) pledged to make protection of women’s rights a top party issue.
“The DPP will continue to safeguard women’s rights and will continue to monitor the government’s social welfare policies,” she said.
Foundation CEO Chi Hui-jung (紀惠容) said her foundation would continue to care for women and girls in need.
“The Garden of Hope Foundation will do its upmost to stop sexual violence and promote gender equality,” she said.
Since its establishment in 1998, the foundation has cared for more than 100,000 women in its 35 centers around the country.
From one halfway house, the foundation’s services have grown to include shelters and service centers nationwide providing everything from counseling and temporary housing to employment training, social work and legal assistance.
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
NEW WORLD: Taiwan is pursuing innovative approaches to international relations through economics, trade and values-based diplomacy, the foreign minister said Taiwan would implement a “three-chain strategy” that promotes democratic values in response to US tariffs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said. Taiwan would aim to create a “global democratic value chain,” seek to capitalize on its position within the first island chain and promote a “non-red supply chain,” Lin was quoted as saying in the ministry’s written report to the Legislative Yuan submitted ahead of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting slated for today. The Ministry would also uphold a spirit of mutual beneficial collaboration, maintaining close communication and consultations with Washington to show that Taiwan-US cooperation