The Ministry of Labor has issued new guidelines requiring airlines to offer trousers as a uniform option for female flight attendants, reinforcing efforts to eliminate gender discrimination in workplace dress codes.
The move follows a 2023 report from the National Human Rights Commission, which found that requiring female cabin crew to wear skirts, heels and makeup contravened the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
At the time, the commission urged airlines to adopt gender-neutral uniform policies and make trousers available for female flight attendants as a standard option.
Photo: CNA
In response, the ministry published the guidelines, which also recommend airlines consult with unions or hold labor-management discussions when drafting or revising uniform policies.
Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment Director Huang Wei-chen (黃維琛) last week said that the new rules require airlines to offer comfortable, practical and suitable uniform options.
Employers are also prohibited from imposing additional requirements such as makeup or high heels on one gender, but not the other, Huang said, adding that airlines cannot ask job applicants to select their uniforms in advance during the hiring process.
If airlines enforce discriminatory dress codes, they could face penalties under the Gender Equality in Employment Act (性別工作平等法), depending on the severity of the breach, he said.
Following the commission report and increasing public pressure, major airlines such as China Airlines (CAL), EVA Airways and Starlux Airlines have introduced trousers as an optional uniform for female flight attendants.
CAL announced that, starting this year, female staff are free to choose between skirts and trousers during work hours based on personal preference or work needs.
Starlux Airlines said it added trousers as an option in 2023, allowing cabin crew to select the style that best meets their comfort and preferences.
Similarly, EVA and its subsidiary UNI Air said they have made trousers available for female flight attendants, following global industry trends.
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