Written by Elspeth Lewis. Taiwan has the lowest birthrate in the world. This article explores this trend by putting women at its centre, challenging what we thought we knew. Beyond the vague idea of becoming more liberal, it explores the difference between the younger generation and their parents. Moreover, the traditional society does not condone the newly created ideas around dating, sex and relationships either.
Written by Carlotta Rose Busetto. This article examines Tsai Ing-wen’s fashion in her two successful presidential campaigns and how posting certain outfits online increased her electability. It finds that clothes matter in Taiwan and Tsai was not free to wear what she wanted. Moreover, clothes matter more than gender because Tsai also utilised them to promote her own political agenda.
Written by Renee Te-Jung Chen. This article looks beyond the numbers of Taiwan’s Small-Amount Remittance Services for Foreign Migrant Workers from a gender perspective. It argues that the milestone of becoming the primary remittance channel obscures the gendered patterns in adopting the new platform. It suggests that the collection of sex-aggregated data is necessary.
Written by Janelle Umana-Limon. This article examines the rise of Indigenous resistance movements in Taiwan through the voices of Liglav Awu and Ayah Demaladas. It highlights how colonial powers, especially the Christian Church, have shaped and suppressed Indigenous cultures and women’s autonomy.
Written by Yo-Ling Chen. This article examines how anti-gender groups in Taiwan have appropriated and leveraged Donald Trump’s anti-trans rhetoric during his presidential campaign to bolster their own agenda. It focuses on statements and actions from various anti-gender groups, highlighting their populist strategy that frames transgender rights as opposing public opinion.
Written by Yo-Ling Chen. The article discusses Taiwan’s anti-gender movement’s misuse of research to promote misinformation about public attitudes toward transgender rights. It focuses on a questionable survey published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, which misrepresented findings and lacked informed consent.
Written by Hsiu-Yun Wang. This article reviews the six decades during which the terms used to describe “sexual harassment” have evolved, and victims’ experiences have shifted from suffering in silence and depending on their fathers for justice to being able to take action themselves. However, many fundamental challenges remain unchanged.
Written by Ting-Sian Liu. This article explores how gender-sensitive and inclusive environments emerged from the recent Bluebird action, challenging past cultures of misogyny and discrimination. It examines how the #MeToo movement has contributed to creating new spaces for collective healing that push social movements in Taiwan forward in thinking about the politics of difference.
Written by Sheng-Hui Tseng. The workplace of politics, permeated by a culture of silence and cover-up, creates a hostile work environment for women that hinders them from seeking help or speaking out against sexual harassment. Breaking this culture requires the collective efforts of politicians, political parties, and the public.
Written by Sheng-Hui Tseng. The #MeToo movement in 2023 prompted revisions to gender equality laws, incorporating key changes such as broadening the scope of these laws, defining power-abused sexual harassment, and extending the timeframe for filing complaints. However, challenges in the workplace of politics persist due to deep-rooted patriarchal culture and informal power dynamics.
Written by Yi-Ping Hsieh. Taiwan has seen a dramatic increase in internet and social media use among adolescents, leading to heightened concerns over online sexual violence. This article focuses on unwanted online sexual solicitation among Taiwanese youth, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and a multifaced approach to protect Taiwanese youth.
Written by Linshan Jiang. “Fan Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise,” the most influential book of Taiwan’s #MeToo movement, was published in English translation this May. This review points out the Confucian patriarchal system of East Asian society in which the story is embedded and underscores the novel’s powerful message that “rage is a virtue” in the fight against such oppressive situations.
Taiwan Insight 