Proposed gender equality policies from all three major parties are “disappointing,” especially from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), rights groups said on Tuesday when announcing the results of its survey of their platforms.
Over more than a month, 28 civil groups conducted a survey asking questions of the parties running candidates for office on Jan. 13 about their planned approach to gender-related issues.
Eight parties filled out the questionnaire, including the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), KMT and TPP, which are fielding presidential candidates, Awakening Foundation chairperson Chiang Chen-yin (姜貞吟) told a news conference in Taipei.
Photo: Wu Po-hsuan, Taipei Times
Overall, the DPP did not respond directly to many questions besides vowing to continue its existing policies, Chiang said, adding that it only committed to providing flexible parental leave and more childcare providers.
Responses from the KMT and TPP were “lackluster, unambitious and uninterested in advancing gender equality,” she added.
When forming a Cabinet, the DPP and TPP vowed that women would comprise at least one-third, while the KMT said at least 30 percent, foundation executive director Shen Hsiu-hua (沈秀華) said.
As for policies to address the gender pay gap and wage transparency, the DPP only promised to revise laws for certain industries, Taipei City Confederation of Trade Unions executive director Chen Shu-lun (陳淑綸) said.
The KMT said that publishing average wages is ineffective, while the TPP’s response was vague, Chen said.
Asked about long working hours and low wages, the DPP promised to provide an additional month of financial assistance for parents, while the TPP promised to increase parental and caretaking leave, and the KMT said it would raise the minimum wage to NT$35,000, she said.
To improve conditions for caretakers, the DPP promised to propose version 3.0 of its Long-term Care Services Program, National Alliance of Taiwan Women’s Associations vice chair Wang Chiung-chih (王瓊枝) said.
The TPP said it would push for long-term care insurance, but “lacked a policy objective,” while the KMT only said it would continue discussions on the issue, Wang said.
To address the issue of women leaving the workplace for caregiving duties, the DPP promised to provide more paid family, maternity and long-term care leave, but did not provide a precise figure, Birth Empowerment Alliance of Taiwan secretary-general Chen Mei-yi (陳玫儀) said.
The TPP promised hourly parental leave and partial pay for caretaking leave, Chen said, adding that the KMT did not make any promises, saying it should be left to employers and unions to negotiate.
The smaller parties gave more policy proposals, Chiang said, expressing disappointment that the three biggest parties mostly “did not give straight answers.”
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