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.
Written by Lana Chikhungu. In both Taiwan and Malawi, adolescent pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of physical and mental health issues. Also observed in both Taiwan and Malawi during the COVID-19 pandemic is the higher risk women were exposed to gender-based violence. Studies on pregnancy in Taiwan during the pandemic focused on how the disease affected pregnancy and maternal care practices and how the disease had an impact on sex life. This article provides insights into teenage pregnancies, child marriage and girl child sexual abuse in Malawi.
Written by Chia-Yun Lee. This article examines marketing narratives in fertility clinics, social media, and mainstream online media, revealing how egg freezing in Taiwanese society is seen as a form of insurance and a means to empower women. However, this technology also leads to personalising the risks of female infertility and reinforces social expectations of traditional gender roles.
Written by Zoe Parrott. There is no doubt that, as three examples of major developed East Asian countries, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong are able to boast of countless laudable achievements. Furthermore, compared to other countries, all of these nations have impressive Human Development Indexes, ranking higher than the United States. However, there is one aspect of each of these nations that often flies under the radar – the infamous gender inequity these nations are characterised by. For concrete examples, look no further than DJSoda, who was sexually assaulted during her show in Osaka, Johnny Kitagawa, who, for decades, dangled “the price of stardom” as an explanation for his sexual abuse, and the four undergraduates who were sexually harassed and/or raped by their older 28-year-old peer at the Education University of Hong Kong. However, there seems to be one outlier among its peers – Taiwan, otherwise known as the Republic of China.
