President Tsai Ing-wen said Nov. 5 that the government is leaving no stone unturned in promoting gender equality while making Taiwan a more free and safe country for women and girls.
Safeguarding women’s rights remains a top government priority, Tsai said. Real progress is being made in eliminating gender-based discrimination and raising awareness of the need to prevent violence and assist survivors, she added.
Tsai made the remarks while opening the fourth World Conference of Women’s Shelters at Kaohsiung Exhibition Center in southern Taiwan. Co-organized by New Taipei City-based Garden of Hope Foundation and Netherlands-headquartered Global Network of Women’s Shelters, the four-day conference involves 1,400 officials and representatives of nongovernmental organizations from 100-plus countries and territories.
According to Tsai, the fact Taiwan is the first country in Asia to host the conference reflects the high regard in which related government policies are held worldwide. An outstanding example is Taiwan’s milestone legalization of same-sex marriage in May, as well as the adoption of pertinent laws and regulations like the Gender Equity Education Act of 2004, Act of Gender Equality in Employment in 2002 and Domestic Violence Protection Act of 1998, she said.
Tsai said the conference is an invaluable platform for Taiwan to share its experiences and deepen links with the global women’s shelter movement. Cooperation between local and international activists is creating opportunities for women and girls to live lives in which dignity and equality are never jeopardized, she added.
As a responsible member of the international community, Tsai said, Taiwan will continue working with like-minded partners to accelerate gender equality and build better tomorrows for all. (YCH-E)
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