It’s Time for the Ghost Month! 

Written by Chee-Hann Wu. Beliefs in the afterlife and in spirits are universal and exist in different cultures and societies. Naturally, ritual practices, ceremonies, festivals, and customs arise, such as Halloween in Western countries and Día de Muertos in Mexico. Similarly, in Taiwan, the year’s seventh month in the lunar calendar is dedicated to ghosts and the deceased. The Gate of the Ghosts opens on the first day of Ghost Month and closes on the last day, during which the spirits enter through the gate and wander the world of the living.

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#MeToo Cases Lead to Legal Hotline for Victims. But Will This Change Engrained Social Attitudes?

Written by Darice D. Chang, Caritta Lin, and Rita Jhang. The #MeToo movement blossomed in Taiwan in May 2023 partly due to a successful TV show, Wave Makers, which features sexual harassment in the political world and partly due to several high-profile sexual harassment cases brought to light in Taiwanese politics around the same time. While increased social awareness and scandal brought swift legislative action and increased support for victims in the form of both social support and legal aid, which we will delve into more detail, amendments to laws that have failed victims previously and increasing support are not a definitive solution to an entrenched social issue — instead, we should consider the various factors that have contributed to a society where power based gender violence could be an open secret.

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#MeToo in Taiwan’s Music Industry: After Making Waves, Can We Forge a Better Workplace?

Written by Chen-yu Lin. In 2023, a watershed moment emerged in Taiwan’s #MeToo movement with the resounding success of the Netflix series “Wave Makers.” The show’s resonance was profound, shedding light on sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace. This spotlight inspired survivors from politics, education, arts, and entertainment to break their silence. The waves of #MeToo allegations have not spared Taiwan’s music industry.

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#MeToo Movement in Taiwan: Reconfiguring the Intimate Life

Written by Mei-Hua Chen. #MeToo movement has been claimed as a global movement that connects women in the global North and the global South. Nonetheless, the MeToo movement must always confront various local social, economic, and cultural relations when it spreads across the globe. It also demands social, legal, and even material infrastructures to materialise. Global South countries that fail to deliver the MeToo movement might relate to the lack of efficient internet infrastructure and the taboo of talking about sex in public (e.g. Bangladesh), freedom of speech (e.g. China), or severe social stratification such as India in which the MeToo movement only circulated among the rich and well-educated elite women.

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What have we learned from the still-unfolding #MeToo movement in Taiwan?

Written by Weiting Wu. The flames of Taiwan’s #MeToo movement have provided new opportunities to reflect on Confucian and patriarchal influences throughout society. To do so, however, Taiwan must act and work in solidarity to address the long-repressed suffering of #MeToo victims. Then, the transgender population, ethnic minorities, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and so on, may finally have the power to seek their justice.

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Has the #MeToo Wave Passed in Taiwan?

Written by Brian Hioe. A short two months after a wave of #MeToo cases swept across the Taiwanese political landscape, it proves a question as to whether there have been genuine changes in social attitudes in the aftermath of these cases. Certainly, there has been no shortage of commentary on the matter, and the legislature responded by passing amendments to Taiwan’s “Three Gender Equality laws.” But whether there are lasting changes remains to be seen.

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After #MeToo, where does Taiwan go?

Written by Shan-Jan Sarah Liu. Five years after the global #MeToo movement began, Taiwan has finally started its own. It began with a wave of sexual assault claims against several members of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). While those alleged in the DPP have resigned, these claims led to allegations against others beyond the political sphere. Since May, more than 100 politicians, activists, intellectuals, and celebrities have been called out for their misconduct. The #MeToo movement has garnered much media attention and has been discussed widely.

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The Green Party Taiwan’s Achievements and Challenges in Promoting Gender Equality

Written by Wang Yan-han, Dafydd Fell and Peng Yen-wen. Founded in January 1996, Green Party Taiwan (GPT) was the first Green Party to be established in Asia. It is one of the oldest movement parties in Taiwan, created through the efforts of student activists and several civil society groups, including activists from the eco-feminist Homemakers United Foundation. One of the main reasons Taiwan has made such impressive progress in the realm of gender equality has been due to civil society activism. Since Green Parties operate on the boundaries between civil and political society, an examination of the GPT’s case can bring a different perspective on Taiwan’s achievements and challenges in the realm of gender equality.

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Treating the Faceless’ Art Experiences Equally: An Interview with an Independent Researcher Tze-Ning Hong

Written by Yi-Cheng Sun; translated by Yi-Yu Lai. Tze-Ning Hong, an independent researcher, designer, and artist, has been immersed in an artistic environment since childhood and graduated from the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University. Her father, a calligraphy teacher in elementary school, provided her with a unique perspective as she navigated between her family and school life during her childhood. From this vantage point, Tze-Ning constantly observed the subtle transformations between “her father as a teacher” and “her father as a dad.” This experience gave her a more nuanced understanding of the teacher’s role than the average person. She has captured and preserved unnoticed and delicate memories regarding art education due to her special position.

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There Is No Such Thing As Creativity or Lack Thereof; There Is Only Fun and Not Enjoyable: An Interview with an Artist Pei-Ying Lin

Written by Yi-Cheng Sun; translated by Yi-Yu Lai. This interview attempts to explore the metaphors of “workshops as classrooms” and “art creation as a learning process” in response to my curiosity about the phenomenon of “workshops, each with its own expression,” especially because artist Pei-Ying Lin frequently employs workshops in her art creation. 

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Exploring the Undefined Creativity in Youth Theatre Education: An Interview with Wen-Qi Yu, Artistic Director of Flying Birds Theatre Group

Written by Yi-Cheng Sun; translated by Yi-Yu Lai. Before starting the interview, during lunch, Rei-Tzu, the production coordinator of Flying Birds Theatre Group, told us about the “earliest university.” In English, “University” is derived from the word “universe.” In Latin, “universus” is composed of “unus” (one) and “versus” (towards a particular direction), giving it the literal meaning of “towards a specific direction.” According to our limited knowledge of history, the University of Bologna, established by students in 1088 in Italy, is the first university in Europe, earning it the title “mother of universities.” The “earliest university” topic quickly sparked our discussion about knowledge and the essence of education, with art being the primary focus.

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Plasticising Cultures through Art Education: An Interview with an Artist Wei-Lun Chang

Written by Yi-Cheng Sun; translated by Yi-Yu Lai. Before my interview with Wei-Lun Chang, I felt isolated and distant from her previous paintings. However, I experienced a contrasting feeling upon entering her home on the interview day. The toys in the corner and the children’s graffiti scattered around the walls made me feel the presence and interdependence of growing lives in this space. Wei-Lun’s role is not only that of an artist and educator, as I knew her to be, but also that of a mother––the mother of two children. The role of motherhood always brings significant changes, growth, and understanding in the continuous process of life, and Wei-Lun’s life journey is no exception.

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