The May Fourth demonstration saw more than one hundred thousand people taking to the streets to demand that President Li apologize as well as have key cabinet members step down. After the demonstration, the Arista Flowers Student League stayed to continue the protest in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. They called for the building of an accountable government as well as a cabinet where half of the members were women.
Moreover, in a show of solidarity with women's groups, the League and the Awakening Association visited Yang Mingshan on May 8 to protest the reduction of women's quota in the National Assembly during the Constitution revision session. In response to these demands, as part of the Cabinet's modest re-shuffle, Yeh Chin-feng was recruited as Taiwan's first Minister of Domestic Affairs.
The news of Ma Ying-joe's resignation dominated the news on May 9 and virtually crowded out the Yangmingshan protest staged by student and women groups. We believe that, while a rising crime rate is partially to blame for the series of events linking Pai Shiao-yen to Peng Wan-ru, deeper root causes are responsible for these events. In a nut shell, the resource allocation of our nation does not take into consideration the needs and opinions of women. Therefore, more women participating in politics would address both the symptoms and the causes of our problems. From the "One-quarter Electoral Quota" demanded by women's groups, to the "One-quarter Party Nomination Quota" Peng Wan-ru won with her life, to the "Half-women Cabinet" advocated by students, the goal remains consistent. Women want power, not violence. It is now well understood that only structural reform can guarantee protection for women, and the government would do well to discard any illusions it may have about placating the public by installing a few token women in the Cabinet!
|
The Asia Women's Foundation in Japan recently announced at a press conference that they would no longer compensate Taiwanese "Comfort Women" through the Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation. Instead, it would use advertising to notify Taiwanese "Comfort Women" to contact International Legal Services (wanguo falu shihwuso) so as to receive direct compensation. In fact, the wife of a former Japanese Prime Minister once acted as an organizer for the Asia Women's Foundation. However, she subsequently resigned and expressed the opinion that "the Japanese government is only using this foundation as a tool to evade government-sponsored compensation."
The Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation points to the fact that the Japanese entity continues to use the Japanese military designation for the Taiwanese "Comfort Women" as "Service Personnel Comfort Women." This designation glosses over the history of Japanese coercion of "Comfort Women" into prostitution and signals a remarkable lack of remorse.
Moreover, Taiwanese "Comfort Women" have already clearly articulated that they want government-sponsored compensation from Japan, and there is little excuse for the Japanese entity to evade responsibility by hiding behind the cloak of a non-governmental organization. In order to demonstrate full sincerity in its efforts at compensation, the Japanese government must voluntarily legislate and establish administrative courts to process legal claims from Asian "Comfort Women" and issue compensation and formal apologies as the national government of Japan. (1997, May 3, United Daily, page 6; May 4, United Daily, page 6.)
In the case of the Lieutenant Colonel Wu En-shu's harassment of a woman Lieutenant in the Military District of Hua-lien, Wu was sentenced to two months at the Hua-lien Local Court. However, the Hua-lien High Court refused to accept the case upon appeal, giving the reason that both parties were military personnel at the time the alleged harassment occurred. The case is now being handled by the Military District's Commander Office. After the case became public, the woman was ostracized by her colleagues, and she attempted suicide at the entrance to the camp. In addition to the sexual harassment suit, the woman officer is also asking for NT$9.9 million from the government in a civil suit currently proceeding at the Hua-lien Local Court. (1997, May 8, United Daily, page 7.)
| By publishing the victim's name and other personal information, United Daily in effect re-harassed the victim. When will the media finally learn to respect its subjects? Let's teach them a thing or two about the basic tenets of journalistic responsibility! The main number at United Daily is: (02)7681234; call and ask for the Head Editor. |
The Political Affairs Chair Yeh Chin-feng presided over the first meeting of the Executive Yuan's Women's Rights Committee. Lien-chan charted out the five goals for the committee during the meeting. (May 6, 1997; Independence Evening Post, page 1.)
The Women's Rights Committee at the Executive Yuan was created in response to strong pressures from women's groups in the wake of Peng Wan-ru's murder. In less than half a year, Pai Shiao-yen's death catalyzed the first meeting of the committee. This series of actions on the part of the Executive Yuan may appear to respond to popular demand. However, in light of the following three considerations, they are no more than window-dressing. First, the Women's Rights Committee is a special project with no permanent status, budget or scheduled meetings. Secondly, the committee's members are mostly male department heads. The only two representatives from women's groups are Huang Chao-shun (who also serves as the head of the Kuomingtang Women's Work Association) and Li Ping (Secretariat of the Young Women's Christian Association, which is headed by Hsu Nai-chin, one of the Chiang family's daughters-in-law.) Finally, Lien's Five Goals are all hot air. For example, he talked about "guaranteeing women's participation in government" even as the Constitution revision efforts spearheaded by the KMT limited women's ability to run for government office!
|
The first objective of the newly-founded Peng Wan-ru Foundation is to work in conjunction with the Taipei Municipal Women's Rights Committee to promote "Mothers in Charge of Taipei." Mothers from communities will organize townhall meetings on safety in their area, identify and monitor police patrolling of crime-prone zones. At the same time, the Foundation is also in the process of creating four television ads to raise public awareness of women's safety issues. (May 1, 1997, United Daily News, page 5; May 11, 1997, United Daily News, page 19.)
As a part of the "Women's Complete Handbook on Running Away from Home" series compiled last year by the Awakening Foundation, "Divorce" is designed to help women in failing marriages obtain a divorce through legal recourse and protect their own rights. Of the approximately three to four hundred calls Awakening's Legal Hotline receives each month, half are inquiries about divorce. Women told the hotline operators that they must continue to stay in failing marriages because they fear the loss of custody rights or property. The first chapter of the Handbook, "Marital Property," has been in print since last May and well-received by women readers. Sequels in the series would explore other civic litigation topics. (May 11, 1997, United Daily News, p. 19).
| Awakening's Legal Hotline number: (02)721-0330; Office (recently moved): (02)711-2814, 711-2874. Readers who want to order a copy of "Women's Complete Handbook on Running Away from Home: On Divorce," please mail order the book from Awakening Foundation's account at 11713774 for NT$100. In addition, we urge readers to make donations to allow this worthwhile series to grow and address other subject areas. |
After Ou Shin-yi raped his stepdaughter, the eighth-grader gave birth to a seven-month-old baby in a bathroom. His wife said that she was unwilling to press charges, while the teenager hoped for a shorter sentence, as Ou is the chief provider for the entire family. She asked with concern: "What would Mom and us four kids do if our Stepfather let us go?"
After Cheng Tung-shan raped his eleven-year-old stepdaughter, his wife discovered the assault but failed to report the case, and her daughter was assaulted again. (May 3, 1997, United News Daily, page 6; May 15, 1997, Independence Post, page 16.)
A group of children at the Nan-tou Provincial Home for the Mentally Retarded were poisoned, and police reports showed that the poisoning was not due to pesticide contamination of foods but rather a deliberate act. Since allegedly the husband of one of the home's workers sexually abused a girl in March, and the girl is among the victims, the police is currently not ruling out the possibility of deliberate murder to silence the abuse victim. (May 6, 1997, United Daily, page 3.)
After unsuccessful attempts at getting debt payments from a bar dancer, Yang Chin-ho strangled her, dismembered the body and threw the head into a garbage collection truck. He then went to the bank and withdrew her savings. After his arrest Yang showed no remorse. Another bar girl of Yang's acquaintance is also missing, and the police suspects she has been killed as well.
After his romantic advances were rejected by his elementary-school classmate, Hwang Cheng-shiung ordered his brother to throw sulfuric acid at her on two separate occasions. A student at Kao-shiung Normal College, the woman escaped the first time but suffered various burns on her face and hands the second time.
After his marriage proposal was refused, Hsieh Tung-shiung strangled Kindergarten teacher Fan Ching-ying, abandoned the body and escaped. (May 1, 1997, United Daily News, page 7; May 12, 1997, United Daily News, page 7.)
Liao Shu-wen, a professor at the Police Academy, stated in a report that the reason the conviction rate is only 18 percent for all sexual assault cases over the last ten years is that sexual assault is not subject to public prosecution. In addition, a suit can be withdrawn at any time before the conclusion of argument at the first trial. Every year more about one hundred rape suspects walk free because the plaintiffs withdraw their complaint. Current law only protects the rapist.
Even before the case goes to court the survivor already must confront public scrutiny, police interrogation, blame and pressures to withdraw the suit. Liao believes, therefore, that sexual assault should be reclassified as subject to public prosecution where charges would be brought against the defendant automatically. (May 4, 1997, United Daily News, page 6.)
The Committee on Employment Discrimination at the Taipei Labor Bureau heard four sexual discrimination cases yesterday. Three of these cases involved women who were fired by their employers upon becoming pregnant, and the fourth was sexual harassment in the workplace. One of the cases was accepted, another was turned down, and the other two were still under investigation.
It is clear that remnants of discriminatory practices against married and pregnant women employees are still in operation in many workplaces. For example, some real estate firms make provisions for automatic salary deductions when an employee becomes pregnant. This is premised on the employers' belief that women who have children would no longer be able to devote undivided attention to their work. Chen Shen-hsien, Director of the Labor Conditions Division at the Bureau, also acknowledged that discrimination against women at agricultural associations remain severe. However, in view of the fact that the associations are under the control of local political factions, the Department of Labor Affairs faces a major challenge when monitoring the associations for signs of employment discrimination. (May 15, 1997, China News, page 14; May 15, 1997, Freedom Times, page 4.)
A six-year-old girl whose last name is Lin was released from the hospital. Last year, an attacker stabbed her anus with a sharpened bamboo stick and pulled out her small intestine. After operations her small intestine is now only eight centimeters long; she will never be able to digest food orally but must absorb nutrients through intravenous injections. Her mother said that her biggest wish is to move her daughter to a new house so that they no longer have to bear the pity and unwanted attention of neighbors. (May 14, 1997, United Daily News, page 6.)
Labor's landslide victory in the British parliament also marks a new height for women's political participation. Of the 419 newly elected members, women number 101. Under certain conditions only 120 votes are needed to become a decisive voting bloc in Parliament. Moreover, Prime Minister Blair's cabinet also boasts five women members. (May 11, 1997, United Daily News, page 42.)
"Ellen" became the first prime-time sitcom in America's television history to have a lesbian as its leading character . In the episode broadcasted on April 30, "Ellen Morgan", the character played by the comedian Ellen DeGeneres, found herself attracted to another woman and eventually came to terms with her own sexual orientation. DeGeneres herself has also come out publicly.
Before the broadcast, the coming-out episode of "Ellen" had been the focus of media attention for weeks. Supporters and opponents of gay rights not only debated with each other at various media forums but also organized and mobilized their respective followers. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) hosted viewing parties and sent out the "Come-out Kit" to help gays and lesbians come out. Conservative organizations took out a full-page ad in the Daily Variety, an important trade publication for the entertainment industry, to condemn ABC and Disney for the broadcast and to call for a boycott of the sponsors of "Ellen". The April 30- episode, it turned out, attracted an audience of 42 million, breaking the rating record for prime time sitcoms in the United States.
Jodie Foster's brother, in a recently published book, claimed that both Ms. Foster and her mother are lesbians. Ms. Foster vehemently denied these claims but did not specify what her sexual orientation was. (Editors, Womenet; May 15, 1997, China Times, page 21.)
An 18-year-old woman in Papua New Guinea made a brave break with tradition by refusing to become a "compensation" payment from one tribe to another, and became the subject of a nation-wide controversy. Women are still bought and sold as part of traditional custom in Papua New Guinea, and tribes often use marriages to show goodwill or as compensation for damages. Milian, however, said that she wanted to "spend the money I make myself" and "no longer want to depend on men." She has already hired a woman attorney to fight her case in court. (May 11, 1997, United Daily News, page 42.)