Written by Yi-Ping Wu. The 2024 Taiwan Theatre Report analyses the trends in Taiwan’s theatre scene, highlighting the rising popularity of musicals and comedy while addressing the impact of the #MeToo movement. Finally, the government’s launch of the Taipei Theatre Awards signals institutional support, even as the industry faces challenges balancing commercial success with artistic and social responsibility.
Written by Yixin Xu. This article argues that the novel Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise can be considered a significant contribution to the #MeToo movement and a literary counterpoint to Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita. It highlights the novel’s unique perspective by focusing on the victim’s experience of sexual abuse and the complexities of her emotional response. The author emphasises how the novel challenges the romanticized portrayal of the predator in Lolita and exposes the devastating reality of sexual violence.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Written by Timothy Rich and Jessica Kiehnau. What do Taiwanese citizens consider sexual harassment? What constitutes sexual harassment is often unclear and inconsistent both across cultures and across generations.
Taiwan Insight 