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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
